32 



11.— WHEAT. 



Nat. Oed. — Graminese. 



Triticmn vulgare. 



This Natural Order contributes more to the 

 wants of man than any other, moreover, some or 

 other species are capable of being cultivated in 

 every part of the globe. 



The Starches so far described are used as food 

 in the pure state, but we now come to a class of 

 food products in which that substance occupies a 

 less prominent position. In the cereals about to 

 bq considered the whole seed, deprived of the outer 

 integuments is ground into meal, and this contains, 

 in addition to Starch, important nitrogenous sub- 

 stances or flesh-forming material, thus making the 

 meals far more perfect foods in themselves than 

 the Arrowroots. 



The Starches of this Natural Order may be 

 divided into two well-defined classes, the circular 

 and the angular granules. Of the former class 

 Wheat Starch is the most characteristic ; it con- 

 sists of, as it were, two sets of granules, both 

 circular, but one much larger than the other, with 

 very few of intermediate size. Pure Wheat 



