236 STATISTICS OF WHEAT CULTUEE. 



Weight of wheat as an index to its value. — Mucli lias been said in regard to 

 the relative weights of the bushel of wheat of different varieties or under 

 different modes of culture. 



As ordinarily determined, this weight ranges from fifty-six to sixty-five or 

 sixty-six pounds, being in a few cases set down somewhat higher. It is said 

 also that the bushel of wheat weighs less in some years than it does in others, 

 and that the difference often amounts to two, or three, or even four pounds. 

 Though this may seem of comparatively little consequence for a few bushels, 

 yet, for the aggegate of the wheat crop of the United States, or for a State, 

 or even a county, it makes a great difference, Thus, were we to estimate the 

 product of one year in the United States at one hundred and ten million 

 bushels, weighing fifty-six pounds to the bushel, and another year at one hun- 

 dred and eight million bushels, weighing sixty-two pounds, the difference in 

 favor of the latter, though the least in quantity, would amount to five hundred 

 and thirty-six million pounds in weight, or more than one million and a 

 quarter of barrels of flour. — (Report of the American Commissioner of Patents 

 for 1847, p. 117.) 



It may be remarked, however, that it is not after all so easy to determine 

 with accuracy the weight of a bushel of wheat, nor to decide upon the circum- 

 stances which have an influence in increasing the density of a grain of wheat. 

 If the microscopical representations of wheat are to be relied on, it is probable 

 that the increase in the density of wheat depends upon the increase in the 

 proportion of gluten. I have found in several cases that, the proportion of 

 water being the same, those samples of wheat which contain the largest 

 proportion of gluten exhibit the highest specific gravity, or, in other words, 

 will yield the greatest number of pounds to the bushel. But the weight of 

 wheat will be influenced by the proportion of water which it contains ; the 

 drier the grain, the greater is its density ; a fact which may account for the 

 difference which has been observed in the weight of wheat in different seasons. 

 If this is the cause, the calculation above given in reference to the United 

 States is fallacious — but if the amount of gluten is actually, instead of re- 

 latively, increased by peculiarities in seasons, it is no doubt correct. 



I have devised a series of experiments to test the accuracy of the statements 

 made upon this point, but have not yet had leisure to complete them. 



General conclusions from the analyses of wheat flour. — The large number of 

 analyses which I have made, and the uniformity of the processes pursued, 

 enable me to draw some general conclusions which it may be useful to present 

 in a connected form. 



1. In the samples from the more northern wheat-growing States, there seems 

 to be little difference in the proportion of nutritive matter that can be set down 

 to the influence of climate. Thus, the yield of the wheat from Michigan, 

 "Wisconsin and Iowa, is scarcely inferior to that from JSTew York, Indiana, and 

 Illinois, although the two latter are somewhat farther south. Local causes, 

 and more especially the peculiarities of culture and manufacture, have more 

 influence, within these parallels of latitude, than the difference of mean 

 temperature. 



2. The samples from New Jersey, Lower Pennsylvania, the southern part of 

 Ohio, Maryland (probably Delaware), Virginia, the CaroliaaS) and Georgia, * 

 contain less water and more nutritive matter than those from the States pre- 

 viously enumerated. That the samples from Missouri, which is included 

 within nearly the same parallels of latitude as Virginia, do not exhibit so high 

 an average of nutritive matter as those from the latter State, must be ascribed 

 principally to a want of care in the management of the crop, and perhaps also 

 in the manufacture of the flour. Virginia flour, for obvious reasons, maintains 

 a high reputation for shipment. 



3. The difference in the nutritive value of the various samples of wheat 

 depends greatly upon the variety, and mode of culture, independently of 

 climate. The correctness of the former statement is shown by the much larger 

 proportions of gluten yielded by many of the samples of hard wheat from 



* I have had no opportunity of analysing samples of flour from the South- Western 

 States, and therefore cannot extend this comparison to them, 



