EXPERIMENTS WITH EMMEK, SPELT, AND EINKORN. 7 
COMPOSITION OF EMMER, SPELT, AND EINKORN. 
In^ threshing, most of the kernels of emmer and spelt remain inclosed 
in the chaff or glumes. Varying proportions of free kernels are found 
mixed with the unbroken spikelets, depending upon the condition 
of the crop at threshing time and the operation of the threshing 
machine. The proportion of hulls or chaff to kernels, by weight, in a 
threshed sample depends also upon the plumpness of the kernels. 
Saunders (40), in describing the varieties of emmer, spelt, and 
einkorn grown in experiments in Canada, reports the different varie- 
ties of emmer as having from 21 to 27 per cent of hull, spelt varieties 
from 27 to 38 per cent of hull, and einkorn 27 per cent of hull. In the 
same bulletin, Charon reports that two varieties of emmer grown at 
Ottawa, Canada, averaged 22.4 per cent of hull and two varieties of 
spelt averaged 29.4 per cent of hull. Zavitz (71) reported the average 
analyses of four varieties each of emmer and spelt, grown at Guelph, 
Ontario, during 12 seasons. Emmer showed 19.6 per cent and 
spring-sown spelt 28 per cent of hulls. Koernicke and Werner 
(23, vol. 2, p. 463), in Germany, report the average proportion of 
hulls in winter spelt as 25.5 per cent, in spring spelt as 23.8 per cent, 
in winter emmer as 23.6 per cent, and in spring emmer as 21.6 per 
cent. Determinations made in this country show emmer and spelt 
to consist usually of 20 to 30 per cent of hulls or chaff. As ordinarily 
threshed, emmer has somewhat less of hulls than spelt. In comparing 
these crops with wheat, about 22 per cent of emmer and 25 per cent 
of spelt should be regarded as hulls or chaff. 
Chemical analyses by Shepperd (J/7, p. 12), Ladd (48, p. 436), Snyder 
(51), Hummel (20), Chamberlain (9), and others indicate that emmer 
has a composition similar to that of oats, being somewhat lower in 
fat and slightly higher in carbohydrates. Chamberlain (9, p. 43) 
reports the digestible nutrients of Black Winter emmer and oats, 
as shown in Table 2. In nutritive value, emmer appears to be 
slightly inferior to oats. Hulled emmer kernels have about the same 
composition as wheat kernels. 
Table 2. — Digestible nutrients in oats and in Black Winter emmer. 
[Computed in pounds per 100 pounds of dry matter.] 
Cereal. 
Protein. Fat. 
Crude 
fiber. 
Carbo- 
hydrates. 
Calories. 
"Emmer. r 
9.96 
10.73 
"1.36 
3.59 
4.98 
3.17 
52.06 
51. 04 
74, 356 
77,209 
Oats 
Einkorn is considerably more chaffy than either emmer or spelt, 
but as it is not grown commercial^ the composition and uses are 
not here considered. 
USES OF EMMER, SPELT, AND EINKORN. 
The chief uses of these crops are as human food, as feed for live- 
stock, and as parents in making hybrids for certain purposes. 
USES AS HUMAN FOOD. 
Emmer and spelt, although primarily feed grains, are used to a con- 
siderable extent as food in Europe, especially in Russia. Most of it is 
hulled and then ground into a meal which is cooked into porridge. 
