1934.] Quality in Wheat. 323 



the ordinary run of English wheats. Among English wheats, 

 again, marked differences of strength exist ; before the influx of 

 foreign sorts the millers made considerable differences in the 

 prices they would give for certain kinds, differences which no 

 longer maintain now that there is available so much foreign 

 wheat of an altogether stronger type. In consequence, these 

 better English wheats are largely tending to go out of cultivation 

 in favour of the varieties giving the largest yield ; none of the 

 best of the old kinds, such as Rough Chaff (Essex White, Taunton 

 Buff, Old Hoary), Red Lammas, Chiddam, give on the average 

 such good crops of grain and straw as does the old Rivett or the 

 newer Square Head and Stand Up types. It maybe mentioned 

 here that with the modern roller-mill, red or white wheat will 

 make equally white flour, so that there is no longer any 

 difference of quality on that score. 



The existence of differences of quality permanently associated 

 with particular English varieties is a matter of considerable 

 importance, as showing that climate is not the only factor in 

 producing " strength," but that " strength " is also a congenital 

 property in the wheat, subject to variation in seedlings, and 

 therefore capable of improvement at the hands of the breeder. 



In the last hundred years or more this quality of strength in 

 the wheat has been associated with the nitrogenous or glutinous 

 matter in the flour ; we find, for example, Davy, in his lectures 

 to the Board of Agriculture in 18 12, saying : 



" I have found 100 parts of good full-grained wheat sown in 

 autumn to afford — of starch 77, gluten 19 ; 100 parts of wheat 

 sown in spring — of starch 70, gluten 24. I have examined 

 different specimens of North-American wheat, and all of 

 them have contained rather more gluten than the British. 

 In general, the wheat of warmer climates abounds more in 

 gluten." 



The method used by Davy to obtain gluten by kneading up 

 a given weight of flour with water, enclosing it in a fine cloth, 

 and then kneading gently in water until no more starch could 

 be washed away, has remained in use as a method of testing 

 flour until the present day. The results, however, cannot be 

 entirely trusted ; not only do many abnormal cases occur, but the 

 quality of the gluten itself, its tenacity and, as we shall see 



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