742 Experiments in the Improvement of Wheat, [dec, 



_____ . K 



Committee announces that success has been attained, a result 

 which is highly creditable to the Cambridge School of Agri- 

 culture, where the work has been carried on. From a cross 

 between Red Fife and Essex Rough Chaff has been produced 

 a hybrid named Burgoyne's Fife, which the Committee have 

 subjected to tests on a large field scale on various soils in 

 different parts of the country, with the result that they have 

 made the following report: — 



"The Home Grown Wheat Committee of the Incorporated 

 Association of British Millers recommend the distribution 

 of Burgoyne's Fife as an improvement on any known variety 

 of English wheat so far as quality is concerned, and as a 

 wheat which is likely to succeed as regards yield under many 

 conditions, both for autumn and spring sowing." 



A large stock of this wheat has been distributed for sowing 

 this autumn at a price of ios. per bushel. The proceeds 

 have been handed over to the Agricultural Department, Cam- 

 bridge University, to aid further research work concerning 

 wheat. 



In this connection it is interesting to notice that great 

 progress has been made in determining what the chemical 

 conditions are which distinguish a strong wheat from a weak 

 one. The evidence available now points to the conclusion 

 that strength is correlated with the proportion of mineral 

 constituents — especially phosphates — in the grain. It is well 

 known that the husk of wheat ("bran") contains a large 

 proportion of these mineral constituents, and the complete ! 

 removal of the bran by modern milling machinery is some- 

 times deplored on the ground that these mineral constituents 

 are of great dietetic value. It has been found that flour treated 

 with an aqueous extract of bran shows an increase of strength, 

 that is, it gives a larger and better-shaped loaf. Further, 

 flour treated with a solution of the salts found in bran is 

 similarly improved. 



The spraying of flour during milling with various solutions 

 is now a recognised commercial process, and inasmuch as 

 the substances so added (e.g., phosphates) are of recognised 

 dietetic value, there can be no objection to the new develop- 

 ment from a sanitary point of view. The result is to produce 

 a loaf with all the dietetic value of "brown" bread, coupled 



