970 JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



of cells radiating towards the innermost part of the grain, and becoming 

 more and more filled with starch, and containing a less amount of 

 aleurone on passing from the circumference to the centre. The germ or 

 embryo lies at the bottom of the grain ; the back of it or the cotyledon, 

 the so-called scutellum or shield, abuts against the endosperm, while the 

 front or side from which the shoot arises lies outwards. 



In the diagram below, figures 1 to 4 illustrate the preceding 

 remarks. 



On germination the ferment cerealin dissolves the aleurone grains, 

 converting them into peptones, the grains themselves consisting of amor- 



7 



Fig. 219. — Sections of a Grain of Wheat. 



1. Grain, showing germ and beard. 2. Grain, reversed. 3. Section of grain. 

 4. Outermost part of grain, showing five skins of husk, square gluten-, and 

 inner starch-cells. 5. Split chaff, awns, &c, from ordinary "whole meal " 

 and " brown bread." 6. Bran flakes. 7. Every particle of wheatmeal 

 should pass through this 18-mesh wire sieve in order to be generally 

 digestible. 



phous and crystalloid nitrogenous substances, associated with the so-called 

 mineral globoids or globules of phosphates of magnesia and lime. 

 Another ferment, diastase, dissolves the starch, converting it into maltose 

 and sugar. These are then absorbed through the shield by the embryo. 



With regard to the analysis of the germ or embryo itself, Professor 

 Church * found that it is really the most nutritious part of the whole 

 grain, for it contains 35*7 per cent, of albuminoids, diastase, &c, 31*2 per 

 cent, of starch, dextrine, and maltose, 13'1 per cent, of fat or oil, and 5*7 

 per cent, of ash. Cellulose, or the more or less indigestible matter, is 



* I alii indebted to this author for analyses and sonic other facts stated in this paper. 

 The reader is referred to his work " Food." 



