44 Maine Agricultural Experiment Station. 1920 



Canada Red, and nearly identical for the strains of Red Fife 

 and Bluestem. In regard to the relation of the two chemical 

 components, protein and gluten, to the baking strength there 

 appears to be, on the whole, some relation between the gluten 

 content and size as well as a still less consistent relation between 

 protein and loaf volume. 



These relations are of importance especially as they have 

 been established in this case for pure strains of wheat grown at 

 one limited centre, when the evidence for or against these rela- 

 tions has hitherto been based almost exclusively on analysis of 

 samples from commercial varieties. In this connection it is of 

 special interest to cite the results of two chemists, who worked 

 with materials of an entirely different nature. Shutt 24 analyzing 

 flours from wheats representing for the most part pure strains 

 selected and bred pure by Dr. Chas. E. Saunders arrived at the 

 conclusion that "between the protein, gliadin and wet and dry 

 gluten there is a distinct relationship, but there is no evidence 

 of a definite or absolute ratio. The results from both series of 

 flours clearly indicate a distinct relationship between these 

 chemical data (protein, gliadin and gluten) and 'baking strength' 

 — a figure made up chiefly of the values for volume, shape and 

 weight of loaf." Olson, 25 on the other hand, working with 

 samples of flours from unidentified varieties and received from 

 mills located in 12 different States concluded that there is no 

 relation between the quality of the flour and the total nitrogen 

 and gluten content. "The volumes of loaves appeared to be 

 inversely proportional to the gluten content." 



Discussion and Conclusions. 



An analysis of the data here presented brings out the fact 

 that pure strains of wheat isolated from commercial varieties 

 when grown under the same environmental conditions show 

 very distinct differences with respect to the physical and chemi- 

 cal characteristics and the bread making value of their grain. 

 The very small tract of land upon which these pure lines grew, 



2, Shutt, T. F. The Relationship of Composition to Bread-making 

 value. 1907. Centr. Exp. Farm, Can. Bull. 57, pp. 27-51. 



25 01son, G. A. Wheat and Flour Investigations — V, 1917, Wash. 

 Agr. Exp. Sta. Bull. No. 144, pp. 1-86. 



