ABSORPTION OF WATER BY GLUTEN OF WHEATS. rs b 
The strength of water-absorbing capacity of a flour depends 
directly upon the relative proportion in which the two proteids 
are present in the gluten. 
If the gluten-contents of two flours be nearly the same, that 
will be the stronger flour which contains the larger proportion of 
glutenin. 
Flours in which glutenin preponderates yield strong, tough, 
elastic, non-adhesive glutens. 
Increased gliadin-content produces a weak, sticky, and inelastic 
gluten. 
It is to be regretted that a larger number of wheats could not 
have been experimented with. The absence of Purple Straw 
which is the variety most largely cultivated at present in the 
Colony, is particularly regrettable. It is however, fairly well 
represented by Toby. Those examined represent, moreover, types 
of grain with well marked characteristics as to strength and gluten 
content, and it was to be anticipated that these would exhibit 
differences in constitution more distinctly than would grains more 
nearly resembling each other. Moreover, these could not be 
obtained until the harvest of 1897, and the results here given are 
I think, sufficiently definite to justify my bringing them before 
your notice without waiting until next year. 
Appended is a table giving the results in a concise form. For 
the sake of comparison, the gluten and strength of the 1894 grain 
is included. It will be noticed that there is a considerable differ- 
ence from year to year in the nature of one and the ‘same grain, 
Both gluten content and strength of flour vary in different years, 
which is no doubt attributable to the nature of the seasons. 
