El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1913-08-23
Modern Milling a Science
Strength of Wheat Necessary to
Make Good Flour; Improved
Methods Help Millers.
-By L redRrfc j. HasI<fn-
ASHINGTON. d. q. Aug.

L----Bx L rederjc }. HaskiR
"yAsHNGToN. D. c, Aug. "a
AA While the improved ma
W chinery and methods used
in baking are responsible for
the increased quantity, as well as
the improved quality, of bread, part
of the credit must also be given TO the
miller who has called into play inn
proved machinery, as well as chemical
science, in order to provide the baker
with good flour. The flour, to large
extent determines the quality of the
bread So while the miller is partially
dependent upon the farmer who sup
plies him with the quality of wheat
required; the baker is still more de-
pendent upon the miller for the kind of
flour which he may produce from that
wheat.
Strength of Wheat Important.
The first thing for the miller to as
certain IS the strength OF the wheat ne
has purchased The milling of a Sufff-
cient quantity to make a trial loaf Of
bread is too troublesome a process to
wheat purchased The common prac-
tice has been to buy upon the reputa-
ton of the grades offered by the farm
ers of a given locality, which is par
tally confirmed by the inspection OF
the grain. Strength is usually asso-
ciated with certain external conditions
well known to the experienced wheat
buyer Strong wheat is apt to be red
in color, the skin thin and brittle, the
grain rather small and Of a horny semi
translucent appearance 1t is hard and
brittle and when broken a grain looks
flinty inside This hardness indicates
the glutenous quality If a few grains
are cheWed in the mouth, the starch is
soon removed and there remains a small
ball of gluten alone, tough and elastic,
like rubber. Weak wheat is usually
lighter in color. The grain is round
and plump and is opaque and mealy in
appearance When broken the inside is
soft and mealy. When cheWed very lit
tie gluten remains, because the weak
flour contains larger proportion OF
starch
Gluten is the bread making quality
in flour. The other cereals, barley,
oats, maize and rice, will not make
raised bread because they do not con-
tain gluten The gluten is the cOher-
ent substance which binds the mass Of
flour together. Bread baked of non
glutenOuS cereal cannot be raised with
yeast because the mass will not unite
sufficiently to preserve the bubbles
caused by the fermentation. COnSe-
quently the gas escapes and the loaf
is heavy.
The great lack now evident in the
marketing Of nOurs, to those who bake
them into bread, is that of cooperation
between the bakers and the millers.
The Master Bakers organizations are
working to bring about such a cooper
alton between the two trades as VIII
induce the miller to indicate with each
consignment of flour the exact degree
of its strength, as well as its other
chemical properties This will enable
the baker to know exactly what to ex-
pect from it
Originally the baking and milling
trades were combined, and some people
predict that in the future this cOmbi-
nation may be resumed The immense
mills which turn out tons of flour each
day may be attached to gigantic ba-
keries which will turn this flour into
wit n
turs both of power and time. The meth
cd of distribution for such great guam
titles of bread seems the hindrance
which is likely to prevent the formation
of bread and flour trusts until some
time far in the future.
Early Baking Simple.
The flour prepared by the primitive
baker required little machinery 1t
was made by simply crushing the grain
between two stones a little later they
learned to have one stone followed out
and the other rounded to turn upon it,
the followed out stone being kept sta
tionary At one time every woman
ground the flour for her own family
The first mechanical continuance for
milling flour is known to have been
used as far back as 200 B. c., although
it did not interfere with the hand
ground meal which for centuries con-
tinued to be made IN Europe in a man
ner similar to that employed by Cen
trail American women today. This first
crude mill was known as a quern, and
while it was operated by hand, it made
1t possible to crush the grain more
rapidly than the earlier methods. Re
mains of prehistoric Querns have been
dug up in many places in England
Ireland and continental Europe where
there are traces Of prehistoric pOpu-
lation
Wind mills came into use about the
18th century and in the 18th century
the power Of the ebb tide was also
employed for grain grinding purposes.
The water was allowed to flow into
a pond, but was forced to pass over a
water wheel on its way out. In the
United States horse power was used to
grind in the earlier mills, which called
for a larger toll than was demanded in
mills operated by water or wind power.
Up until the last quarter OF a century
horse power mills were in operation in
South Carolina and Texas In the lat
ter state oxen were used to cOnsid-
cradle extent
Roller Mil Changes Things.
The roller mill has been the factor
in the development of the milling in
dUStry. It is not, as is sometimes sup
posed, an American industry, although
the largest roller mills in the world are
in Minnesota The first attempt at
milling with rollers was made in
Switzerland in 1920, and in Hungary
a few years later. The first roller mill
was established in Minneapolis in 1878
The original method of milling con-
sisted of grinding the grain by plac-
ing it between two crushers- Graham
flour is ordinarily produced in this
way. This is known as low milling and
is one of the earliest processes 1t
produced the largest possible amount
Of flour at only one grinding. Before
1850 this was the only method known
in this country During the next quar-
ter of a century the high roller pro-
cess came into use About 1870 a
purifier was invented which could be
relied upon to remove dust and bran
particles from the middllnSS- The mid
dlings are then reground to make the
high grade patent flour. In a mill
which is thoroughly equipped the wheat
goes through at least six straight
.sbrea11s" or grinding processes, the
rollers in each being a little closer to-
gether than in the one preceding. Such
d mill may produce so direct milling
products. varying in quality from the
finest flour to pure bran