The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1880-10-22
scienec in Mannraetnring FIom.

Until recently it WAS believed that the
only thing - be sought for in the prO-
ducti1n Of 2 good article OF four was q
more or less fine disiutegratiou Of the
keTnal5 OF wheat. As long rs Inillers
held to the theory that grinding was all
that was required, a large percentage of
the flour had its nutr tive powers great
" reduced by being ground 10 IN impal-
pable dust Science, by aid of micro
scope. has shown that no really good
bread can be made fIou flour in which
any large portion OF the starch globules
have been thus broken down. The ris-
ing Of bread is due to the starch globules
which remain whole, while the dust
from The diSintegrated ones, by 3ouring,
impairs the li9htnesS and sweetness of
the loaf. 1t is but recently that these
facts have been made known TO millers.
and since that time they have been dis
carding their old theories and machin-
cry and deyising improvements with the
view to separating the starch globuies,
rather than pulveriZing them. Another
important advance IN this industry con-
sist5 of an improvement III boiling ma
chimes. Until recently the bran was
separated from the flour by powerful
air blast. which blows of the light par
ticles OF bran. Considerable power is
required for this process. and although
it is carried on in closed room, there is
not only a great waste Of the finer parti-
cles of flour, but the impalpable dust
penetratcS every part of the mill and Of
ten gives rise to destructive explosions.
BY a recent Invention, electricity is
made to take the place of the ali blast.
Just over the wire boiling cloth. which
has a rapid reciprocal motion. a number
of hard rubber cylinders are kept slowly
revolving and rubbing against stripes of
sheepSkin, by which a large amount, of
fractional electricity is evolved Then.
as the middliGgs are sleved by the recip-
TOcal motion, the lighter bran comes to
the top, whence. instead of being blown
away by an air blast, it is attracted to
The electrically charged cylinders. as
light substances are attracted to piece
of paper or 4 stick of seating wax which
has been smartly rubbed. The removal
Of the bran from the rollers, and its de-
pOsit on one side, are readily effected,
while the flour is carried in another di-
reCtion. The separation is thus made
! complete, with very little loss of dust
Still another device has been introduced
to remove from the wheat, before being
ground, small pieces of iron, which, de-
spite the utmost care. viii find their way
into the grain, working great injury to
mill machinery, This trouble is now
remedied by the use Of series Of mag
nets, directly under which all the grain
/ is made to pass. These magnets readily
capture all tie stray pieces of iron from
. the wire bands used in binding and
they have also revealed :he singular fact
that, of the scraps Of iron aud steel which
find their way into the grain, fully one
third are sometimes beside the binding
wire. They are of larger proportions,
of varying character, and much more
hnrtful to the machinery than the wire
Thus it is that science is constantly
coming to aid all the varied industries.
tightening the labor of the wOrkmen,
decreasing the cost of products. AMI in
every way improving all the various
. processes which are involved in the i'm
proved and constantly advancing civiIi-
zati0n of the age.-Ihc Weekly Astor-
jEs.