Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1883-05-09
A Grain of w heat.

Although we partake of the manu-
facture of this staff of life daily, how
! few have ever thought of the marvellous
complexity of single grain. An ex-
pert in the american Miller" gives
the following description of it, which
doubtless will be read with interest by
every one:
Through the centre of the kernel
runs a groove, so that horizontal
section is heart shaped Under glass
we see that it is very composite in
structure. The outside layer or cuticle,
which forms the bran, is composed
mainly of silex, the mineral base of
sand, which by means of the potash in
the soil is made soluble, and IS carried
by the little veins of the wheat plant
and deposited with the wood tissue
The nutriment in this triple coat is not
digestible by the human stomach, but
is excellent for cattle. The layer next
inside this is the styled gluten. This
is q complex substance and in the
highest degree nutritious, especially to
the muscular tissues of man. Gluten
pure is composed mainly of protein,
which is the basis of the nitrogenous
compound nlbumen, ibrin and casein,
with slight addition of sulphur. On
this layer depends largely the nutritive
value of wheat. When -four stands
for some time after grinding some of
the gluten changes it's form to albumen,
and thus improves it's bread making
quality, so that the baker considers
flour month old better than the fresh
ground. The substance is not strictly
limited to this layer of the grain, but is
found both in the bran and distributed
through the starch. Within this gluten
layer lies the starch constituting the
mass of the kernel The starch con-
Sists of minute granules about 1000 of
an inch in diameter. The nuclei around
which cluster these tiny granules some
think are gluten. This is certainly
true of oats. On the mingling of the
gluten with the starch depends the
value of wheat for making bread. For
besides the protein, crude gluten con-
tains sugar, gum and soluble albumen.
The decomposition of sugar in fermen-
sation produces carbonic acid, which
becomes entangled in the tenacious
gluten, expands in the heat of baking,
and renders the loaf light and spongy.
In the centre OF the kernel, when the
outer layer turns into the body and
doubles around, forming an inner heart
shaped section, lie the phosphates of
soda, lime and magnesia. which are the
Lone and brain making elements Of
wheat. In the crease, near the large
end of the kernal lies the germ, which,
though rich in gluten, contains oily
and dark matter that Injuries the color
and quality of the -four, and should be
removed. Over the germ is thin
scale like pellicle, easily removed with
the thumb nail revealing the little
germ containing cells beneath The
germ, by slight pressure, may be re-
moved, leaving the cell, which, how
ever, is coated With oily matter, which
should also be kept out of the -four. At
the other end of the kernel is a sort of
fine brush appendage formed of numer.
Gus downy flaments of q slight salmon
tint, These are useful to the seed in
the ground as absorbents of moisture,
but in the -four impair both its color
and flavor, and should be eliminated
This brush end and the crease, with
the wrinkled surface Of the grain, are
grand dust and dirt catchers, and q
large amount of the machinery of our
modern mills is for the sole purpose of
cleaning the grain from dirt and freeing
it of the bran germ, brush and oily
matter, which Injuries its capacity for
making white, spongY Snd nutritious
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