98 



REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF AGRICULTURE. 



in nitrogen than any other, although not the richest in gluten, owing to 

 the proportion of bran and germ which they contain. 



Having followed the grain through the breaks to the bran, the prod- 

 ucts of the purification of the chop remain to be studied. 



The shorts, or branny particles removed from the chop or from the 

 middlings by aspirators, contain much less fiber and ash than the bran, 

 although they are of similar origin, that is to say, from the outer coats 

 of the grain. The analyses point to their origin from those portions of 

 the coat which contain less ash and fiber. 



The middlings are graded into rive classes, and in their original un- 

 cleaned state they differ chemically in the tact that from No. 1 to No. 5 

 there is a regular decrease in ash, fiber, and fat, while No. 5 is richer in 

 albuminoids than any other. This would be expected from our pre- 

 liminary examination, which showed a decrease in bran from beginning 

 to end, and that No. 5 was the purest endosperm. 



After cleaning, the same relations hold good, but owing to the re- 

 moval of the branny particles there is in all cases a loss of ash con- 

 stituents and fiber. The effect of cleaning is more apparent in Nos. 1 

 and 2, where more bran is removed. 



The reduction of the middlings on smooth rolls changes the compo- 

 sition but slightly, and the flours which originate from this process are 

 very similar to the middlings from which they were produced. That 

 from the fourth reduction is richer in nitrogen, as would also be the 

 case with the fifth, although want of a specimen prevented an analysis. 



The tailings from the middlings purifiers present the usual character- 

 istics of by-products, which owe their.existence to the outer part of the 

 gram with its high percentages of ash and fiber, and, in this case also 

 of nitrogen. It is remarkable, however, that the tailings marked No. G 

 contain only one-third as much ash as the others, but this is explained 

 by the fact that they are largely composed of endosperm. 



The tailings from the different reductions are nearly alike in compo- 

 sition, with two exceptions: Those from the fourth contain little ash 

 fiber and nitrogen. Like No. G of the purifier tailings, they consist 

 largely of endosperm. Those from the second reduction contain much 

 germ, and are therefore richer in nitrogen than the rest. 



The repurified middlings, as might be expected, contain much more 

 ash, oil, and fiber than the original, and there is also an increase in 

 nitrogen but not in gluten, owing to the large amount of bran they 

 contain. 



Analyses of the three grades of flour as furnished to the market fol- 

 low. From a cursory glance it might be said that the low-grade flour 

 was the best, as it contains the most albuminoids, but its weakness is 

 discovered in the fact that it has only 4 per cent, of gluten. The bakers' 

 flour contains more ash, oil, fiber, albuminoids, and gluten than the 

 patent, but owing to the increased amount of the first three constituents 

 mentioned, it is proportionately lacking in whiteness and lightness. 

 The two flours each have their advantageous points. 



Several other grades of flour — break flour, stone flour, and flours from 

 the first, second, and third tailings — are all very similar, and, as far as 

 chemical analysis is concerned, good. The preliminary examination 

 has, however, shown certain defects in each. The break flour is richer 

 in albuminoids and gluten than any other, and if it were pure and its 

 physical condition were good, it would be of value. 



The roller process is distinguished for the completeness w T ith which 

 it removes the germ of the grain during the manufacture of flour by 

 flattening and sifting it out. This furnishes the three by-products which 



