MICROSCOPICAL EXAMINATION OF FLOUR. 7 
Table 2. — Hair counts obtained on experimental samples of flour. l 
Sample No. 
Types of flour. 
70 per 
cent. 
97.5 per 
cent. 
90 per 
cent. 
27.5 per 
cent. 
2.5 per 
cent. 
1 
13 
13 
18 
12 
9 
28 
29 
26 
39 
29 
30 
26 45 
22 49 
28 47 
31 65 
28 51 
34 40 
129 
2 
131 
3 - 
112 
4 . . . ; 
5 
6 
Average . . . 
13 
30 
28 49 
124 
1 As these flours were made under the supervision of the Bureau of Chemistry, their constituent streams 
were known. A description of the streams composing them is given in Department of Agriculture Bulletin 
839. 
SUMMARY. 
Experimental data secured by the Bureau of Chemistry have 
shown in a general way the existence of a significant relationship 
between the wheat-hair count and the flour classified according to 
milling practices. Reliable informa- 
tion on the quality of the mill streams 
composing any finished flour was avail- 
able only in the case of the experimental 
samples of flour. Consequently, any 
suggestion as to the tolerance to be 
applied in a method of this kind would 
be justified only when definite infor- 
mation concerning the milling process, 
such as the streams employed in com- 
posing a flour and the cleaning of the 
wheat, is at hand. 
The data obtained on the exper- 
imental samples of flour, however, in- 
dicate the possibility of making an in- 
teresting classification based on the 
hair count alone. It is possible, of 
course, that the number of hairs or 
hair fragments from the brush of the 
wheat grain might differ materially, ac- 
cording to the variety of wheat used 
and the milling operations employed. 
Nevertheless, an examination of a large 
number of samples representing a great 
variety of milling practices indicates 
that flours made from purified mid- 
dlings material show a low hair count, 
while flours containing lower-grade mill 
stocks show a higher hair count. 
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"fAT'ST" 'ST" "CL" "LG" 
Fig. 5. — Average hair count on a 70 per cent 
patent, 90 and 97.5 per cent straight, 
27.5 per cent clear, and 2.5 per cent low- 
grade flour. 
