The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1882-10-21

An erroneous idea prevails that fioul
made by the modern processes contains
less gluten or vtalizing elements of the
wheat. Prof. Tobin. of the Louisville
Polytechnic Institute, declares that flOul
made by the gradual reduction process
contains larger proportion of gluten
than that made by the old process, fact
which he discovered by microscopical
examination, and exhibited in lecture
before the Kentucky Millers' Association.
The germ idea of milling is purifica-
ton. The primitive savage, who, in
hammering out his grain on arock, stop
ped to pick out bug or stick, felt the
want of rolls. reels and purifiers. To
this primal process succeeded that men,
toned in Matthew, xiv. Al: "Two wom-
en- shall be grinding at the mill; the
one shall be taken and the other left. ~
This was the milestone which, i'll one
form or another and with various i'm
proyements of mechanical construction
and application, has been in use until the
last few years. The use of rollers was
first developed by the Hungarians, who
employed them in connection with mill
stones. Ad danced American millers are
now using the rollers to the entire eX-
clusion of the millstones. The reason
for tho change is that millstones used in
the general way do not produce so large
a quantity of white flour Gin comparison
with the amount of such flour contained
in the grain). because the bran is rubbed
partially into fine powder between the
stones, and in consequence of its brown
particles. imparts to the flour a more or
less dark color. These rollers are made
Of cast-iron with hard chilled surface,
similar in texture to that of a car-wheel,
and cylindrical in form. They are of
varying size, generally about nine inches
in diameter and eighteen inches long.
They are Operatedin pairs, one revolving
aganstthe other with differential speed
that is, one revOlves faster than the other,
producing rubbing motion.
An additional reason for the use of the
rollers is that they make a larger pro-
portion of ''middlings." Middlings, be
ii known. are broken portions Of wheat
detached from the bran. If the I'M
broken wheat could be perfectly purified
it would make pure flour. This expert
ment has demonstrated to be an impos-
sibiity. The only form in which the
wheat can be purified is when it is in the
shape of middlngs. Therefore, the ma
chinery which will make the most mid
dlings is adopted by the miller whose
quantity of pure. nourishing flour. The
rolls have. in the last few years, been
found TO do this work to the best advan-
tagc when applied to the process of grad
ual reduction. For this work of reducing
wheat to middlings corrugated, or fluted
rolls are used. and for reducing the
middlings to flour, polished, smooth rolls
are used.
This is the working method of roller
milling The grain is first passed in a
perfectly dry state, through a pair of
coarse, fluted rolls set at such distance
that the grains are only slightly cracked,
and the bran does not lose its
integrity. The inside of the grain,
which is more or less brittle, is
thereby. of course, divided into pieces
of different size, middlings which will
fall out of the coating. The less broken
particles of the reduced grains are then
separated in wire reels from the finer par
tcIes. The larger particles Containing
the bran) are then passed througha sec
Ond pair of rollers, set little closer and
fluted little finer, which will reduce the
broken grains into somewhat smaller
particles, without. however, reducing the
bran much. After the finer particles have
again been separated in wire cylinder,
the coarSer parts are passed through a
third pair of rollers, set closer and huted
finer. which continues the reduction with
out reducing the bran. The inner parts
of the grain are thereby separated from
the coating. so that after the grain has
been passed six times through the rolls,
in the described manner between rolls set
successfully closer and fluted finer, the
whole contents of the grain have been
detached from the coating, which re-
mains n soft, spongy mass. During each
process of reduction middlings are OBJ
tanned in a condition to be purified
which is done by first busting the mid
dlings Chat is, taking out the tlour) and
then passing them through sieve ma
chine constructed so as to subject the
middiings to currents of air which re-
move all impure materials, which is of
less specific gravity than the pure mid
dlings. In practice this process has to
be repeated many times. [ndtdndDeLis