The record-union., 1893-11-14
MAKING FLOUR.
Various Processes Through Which
Wheat Passes in the Mil.

Wheat Passes in the Mill.
The noises on the inside of a mill are
deafening. One who has never been in
a Touring mill Of the largest size cannot
realize what a peculiar lot of noises are
made by the machinery. AS soon as the
wheat enters the machine from the long
spout which brings it down from the
upper floor, it falls between two rollers
of iron-"chilled' iron, they call il, and
very hard iron it is, too. One of these
rollers revolves rapidly, the other more
slowly, in order that the separation of the
coat, or bran, from the kernel may be
more easily accomplished. The wheat
first passes between rollers separated
lust enough to allow the coat to be
crushed. 1t is then carried away to the
top of the mill again, to room where the
sun yainly tries to shine through the
flour-coated windows far above the city's
roofs. 1t next passes over wire sieve,
which separates the bran from the kernel
proper.
This bran, which contains much of the
flour material, again passes down and is
ground once more this process being re-
peated four times, making five grindings,
each one finer than the one preceding it.
Each time the fibrouS or bran portions
are more completely separated and at last
the bran comes out clear, browniSh
husk with every particle of flour re-
moved.
The inside part of the kernel has mean
while been going through very interest
ing process. After the first grinding or
breaking it passes to big six-sided
revolving reel, covered with fine wire
netting or sieve. Through this reel the
finer portions of the kernels pass, coming
out into what are called 'middlings," a
granulated mass which goes back to the
rollers for another crushing. This pro-
cess is repeated through five reels, all but
the first being of silk. The last one has
10 threads TO the Hneal inch. The flour
which comes out of the fifth reel while
white in hue, is yet not of the finest or
''patent" grade, but is classed as
"baker's" or second grade flour.
The middlings above referred to are
purified by an interesting process. They
are passed over fine wire sieve, through
the upper part of which a strong current
Of air is passed. This holds in suspense
the tiny portions of tibrous matter which
may have been in the flour, and at last,
after this process Of middlings purifying
has been very carefully carried out, the
Hour appears a spotless, snowy white
the ''patent" flour, as it is called. In the
process Of grinding in this gradual and
repeated way, the germ OF the wheat. a
tiny particle about the size of a mustard
seed, is separated from the white flour.
1t is what one might call the life part of
the wheat. If it were ground up it would
not leave the patent Hour so white and
powdery, so it is separated in one of the
sievings and passes into the darker or
lower grade -four. ] contains, however,
the best and most nutritious part of the
wheat.
The last thing that happens to the pull
verized kernel before it is ready for
market is the filling of barrels or sacks.
Down many stories, through a smooth
tube, comes the white or patent flour.
Under the tube is the barrel or the sack,
as the case may be. and, as it begins to
fill. a steel auger. just the size of the bar
rel, bores down into the flour, packing it
carefully and solidly beneath the broad
hlades.-St. Nicholas.