The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1894-05-16
A Grain OF Wheat

One who has never been in a -four
ing mill of the largest size cannot re-
alize what 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 floors, it falls between
two rollers of iron-''chilled iron'
they call it-and very hard iron it
is, too. One of these rollers rcvolves
rapidly, the other more slowly in or
der that the separation Of the coat, or
bran, from the kernel may be more
easily accomplished. The wheat first
passes between rollers separated just
enough to allow the coat to be crushed.
It is then carried away up to the top
of the mill again, to room where the
sun vainly tries to shine in through
the -four coated windows, far above
the citys roofs. II next passes over
a 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 repeated four times, making five
grindings, each one finer than the one
preceding it. Each time the fbrous
or bran portions are more completely
senarated. and at last the bran comes
out a clear brownish husk with every
particle of -four removed.
The inside part of the kernel has
meanwhile been going through very
interesting process. After the first
grinding OF breaking it passes to a big
six-sided, revolving wheel covered
with a fine wire netting, or sieve.
Through this reel the finer portions of
the kernel pass, coming out in what
is called "middlings," a granulated
mass which goes back to the rollers
for another crushing.
This process is repeated through
five reels, all but the first being of
silk. The last one has 120 threads to
the lineal inch. The -four which
comes out of the fifth reel, while white
in hue, is yet not one of the finest or
"patent" grade, but is classed as
"baker' s" or second-grade -four.
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
fibrous matter which may have been
in the -four, and, at last, after this
process of middlings purifying has
been carefully carried out, the -four
appears spotless, snowy white-the
"patent' -four 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 mus
tard seeds separated from the white
-four. It is what one might call the
lifc-part of the wheat. If it were
ground up It would not leave the
apatcnt" flour so white and powdery,
so it is separated in one Of the siev-
ings, and passes into the darker or
lower grade of -four. 1t contains,
however, the best and most nutritious
part of the wheat.
The last thing that happens to the
pulverized 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 "pat-
ent' flour. Under the tube is the
barrel or sack, as the case may be,
and, as it begins to fill, u steel augur,
just the size of the barrel, bores down
into the -four, packing it carefully and
solidly beneath the broad blades.-St.
Nicholas.