108 



ON THE PRESERVATION' OF FOOD. 



[1853 



In India; they would cost little to construct, find would be proof 

 against vermin, fire and mildew, and last for an indefinite period. 



The shipment of grain is also defective and wasteful. '1'ho 

 putting the grain into a vessel in bulk, carrying it from the gran- 

 ary in bags, "the transhipment by taking it out in bags and cart- 

 ing them some distance to the vessel intended to take the grain 

 to its trans-Atlantic destination, again shipping in bulk, and on 

 its arrival being taken out again with bags, with the rattage at 

 every point of its progress, the spilling every time it is moved, 

 and deterioration in quality from constant exposure, cause an 

 Amount of loss that, were it carefully estimated, would lead to an 

 utter change in the methods employed in sending it forward. 



Grain should always, on removal from granary, be put into 

 barrels. These might be made of sawed wood, (seasoned or 

 steamed of course,) which barrels would sell in Britain at a pro- 

 fit ou cost for cooper's use. They should hold four bushels Impe- 

 rial, or half a quarter, and in addition to shipping marks, have 

 quantity and quality painted on them. As no vessel can take a 

 bulk cargo of grain in greater quantity than in barrels, owing to 

 the weight, the freight would not be augmented in consequence. 

 Indeed, from the freight being what is technically called "rolling 

 freight, it would most probably be somewhat less, and all less 

 from spilling, damp, heating on the voyage (the spaces between 

 the barrels allowing of free circulation of air,) would be prevented, 

 the damage from rattage much lessened, the shipment, tranship- 

 ment and" landing very much facilitated, the qualities of wheat 

 and the properties of the various shippers kept quite distinct, and 

 the sale, being in precise quantities, much facilitated. 



Were our grain trade what it was ten years since, the present 

 system might be tolerated some time longer, but in the view of 

 the rapid increase of our grain trade, some means, whether they 

 be such as I have pointed out, or better, should be employed to 

 prevent the destruction of a large portion of our produce. I 

 need not point out the superiority of barrels for the packing of 

 grain, if to be transported by railway — a mode of conveyance we 

 must very shortly accustom ourselves to consider. 



The improvements made of late in the manufacture of flour, 

 And the increased facilities for its transmission to the places of 

 consumption, much to he improved ,by the formation of a regular 

 line of iron steamers from Montreal to Britain, (steam ensuring 

 Tapidity, and the conducting powers of iron ensuring coolness,) 

 would leave me little to say, were it not that the constant quota- 

 tion of Canadian sour flour proves that at often spoils on tire voy- 

 age, and that for the Califoruian and Australian markets, or indeed 

 for those of "the British West Indies, it is altogether out of the 

 question, as Baltimore or Charleston American flour, or even that 

 manufactured -in Hamburg, in Europe, has to be taken in plaee 

 ■of Canadian, at a higher price. 



Not does dte ■evil end here, for owing to the necessity of pre- 

 paring flour to keep, the highly nutritive spring wheat has to be 

 rejected, and the gluten of the winter wheat cannot be made use 

 of to the fullest extent, this gluten being the most valuable por- 

 tion of the grain. 



On the other hand, if Canadian flour could be made to keep, 

 and could, by regrinding the whole of the gluten be used, and a 

 portion of spring wheat employed to give strength, Canadian 

 flour, from its superior strength, would sell at a higher price than 

 any other whatever. 



The remedy, the sole remedy, is the employment of the kilu — 

 not to the wheat, for that renders it too hard to grind, and too 

 dark in colour, (some of the best spring grain, indeed, requiring 

 to be wetted to grind well,)— but the kiln employed to dry the 

 flour. 



Now, steam heat offers the readiest mode of drying', either em- 

 ployed in a metallic chest, or enclosed in a tube round which a 

 screw might be constructed, to convey the flour to the cooling 

 rooms, and thus be submitted to the heat of the steam while on 

 its passage, and every particle exposed to the heat in turn. 



All the trouble and anxiety now felt by shippers, apart from 

 the fluctuation of markets would thus be obviated, our spring 

 wheat could be used freely, and a fair price paid for it, now almost 

 rejected altogether, and the whole of the grain excepting the mere 

 cuticle, or bran employed, increasing the price of our flour 15 

 per cent., and the quantity at least as much as would be lost by 

 the shrinkage by drying, while the enterprising might seek other 

 and more distant markets, probably also far more profitable ones, 

 than those of the United States and Great Britain, to which wo 

 are now confined by the perishable character of our flour. 



While on this subject, I may be excused adverting to the fact, 

 that wheat alone is made into flour properly so called, barley 

 being merely husked or ground into small balls, peas husked or 

 as commonly called " split," rice simply pulled, while oats and 

 corn are highly dried and then coarsely ground into meal. Now 

 all these articles, with the addition to the list of rice and white 

 beans, would make flour, useful to some extent for bread, serving 

 as a variety and very important at sea, but also for soup and pud- 

 dings, far more available than the preparations now employed. 

 Indeed it would at first sight seem more rational to grind wheat 

 into meal, and the coarser grains into flour, than the present 

 practice — probably custom is the sole cause. For all these spe- 

 cies of flour the kiln is even more requisite than for wheaten flour, 

 the grain being ground undried. 



And before dismissing the subject, I may also advert to the 

 change of late in our acquaintance with the nutritive qualities of 

 various kinds of Grain. At one time, because Wheat proved to 

 be highly nutritive, and contained gluten as well as starch, and 

 starch w : as clearly proved incapable of producing muscle, gluten 

 was considered the nutritive principle ; but as Maize supported 

 life equally well, and contained zein in plaee of gluten, zein 

 although differing from gluten in many respects, had to be 

 considered its equivalent as food, and so with boidein in Barley, 

 vegetable casein in Beans and Pears; and lastly, Rice, which at 

 one time was coolly put down as quite innutritious, although 

 some three hundred millions live chiefly on it, is now looked upon 

 as scarcely behind the rest, Oats having been all along thought 

 to possess nutritive powers possessing gluten, or something not 

 far from it. 



Tire fact being that the life sustaining qualities are much alike, 

 and although some possess sufficient compounds of nitrogen to 

 form muscle, and enough compounds of carbon for fat and for 

 warmth, some, it is true, contain more of the various phosphates 

 than others, and differ in other ways, — that very difference c 

 proving their utility, — and that as a variety of animal and 

 vegetable food •conduces to health, we should be all the better if 

 our bread was more diversified in character. 



I disgressonee more to speak of a subject having much relation 

 to the preservation of flour, name;} - , its preparation from grain 

 by grinding; for the purpose of making flour of a keeping 

 quality, extra coolers have been employed for a long time, well 

 seasoned barrels are deemed a most important item, if they cannot 

 be obtained air seasoned, steam dried staves answer perfectly, 

 even if made of wood cut the day previously ; planes are manu- 

 factured in London of Beech wood cut a few days previously, bnt 

 prepared by steaming. 



Various patents have also been taken out — Bovills, employed 

 by J. B. Ewart, Esq., Dundas, blows air through the eye of the 

 stone, cooling of the flour, and helping the centrifugal force, to expel 



