Jamestown weekly alert. [volume] (Jamestown, Stutsman County, D.T. [N.D.]) 1882-1925, 1917-05-24
EICHTY.TW0
PER CENT. FLOUR
EXTRACTION

monthly at Minneapolis by the Rus
sell Miller Milling Co., has the fol-
lowing article concerning the manu-
facture Of -four to contain a larger
quantity of mill feed than hereto
fore, contributed by II. S. Helm:
Much is being said in the newspa-
pers concerning the compulsory and
exclusive use in the United States of
wheat -four of 80 per cent extraction,
the idea being that by forcing the
people Of the United States to eat a
larger percentage of the wheat ber-
ry there would be less wheat re-
quired for consumption in this coun-
try and more for supplying the
needs of our Allies abroad. An 81
per cent extraction -four is being
very strongly advocated by certain
individuals, and the whole question
has been very thoroly studied in its
effects in Germany, Belgium, France
and Great Britain by our United
States Department of Agriculture,
looking to the possible future need
of such action by our Government.
The real economic side of the ques-
tion is very interesting.
BY 50 per cent extraction is meant
that enough of the mill feed must
be added to-and consumed as flour
so that every 100 lbs. of wheat
shall yield 80 lbs. of -four for human
consumption. The suggestion or pro-
posal contemplates that no miller
may grind or sell, and that no baker,
housewife, or consumer may bake or
use any weight -four except that
containing enough of the mill feed
so that the product represents 81
per cent of the weight of the original
wheat. In other words, no white
bread could be baked by anyone.
The bread would be what is now
known abroad as gray bread"
The basis of modern -four milling
as now developed in the United
States is the recovery of the largest
possible percentage of the wheat
berry In the form eos tina fine white
powder known as flour, which is
about SO per cent digestible in the
human digestive apparatus, and the
separating into various grades of
feed the fibrous portion of the
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per cent digestible in the human di-
gestive apparatus and yet is about
"a per cent digestible in the diges-
tive apparatus of the dairy cow.
The Northwestern spring wheat
crop Of 1916, which we are now
grinding, was more or less shrunk-
en-, so that 100 lbs. of this wheat at
the present time is yielding an aver
age of probably around &C lbs. Of
-four and "a lbs. of feed.
In normal crop years 100 lbs. OF
sound, heavy wheat yields approxi-
mately 72 lbs. of flour and 28 lbs.
Of feed.
Considering the 80 per cent ex-
traction proposition as related to
sound, heavy wheat of normal crops,
the miller would grind from 100
lbs. of wheat the 72 lbs, of -four and
% lbs. Of feed as usual, but would
have to add 10 lbs., or about one
third of the total feed product to the
-four before packing it for sale.
The United States Department Of
Agriculture, some years ago, made
an exhaustive study of the compare
tive digestibility of white -four as
against flours with part of the mill
feed added. From the Department
records it is shown that when man
eats the white -four and the dairy
COW eats the mill feed about 80 per
cent Of the total nutrients in the
wheat is utilized and digested; that
when man eats the 70 lbs. of white
-four with 10 lbs. of feed added
and the dairy COW gets only 18 lbs.
Of feed instead of % lbs.-only a.
bout "a per cent of the total nutri-
ents of the wheat berry is utilized
and digested. Furthermore, il one
third of the mill feed output of the
country were consumed for human
food the prices of mill feed would
naturally advance and the supply of
milk decrease. All nutrition experts
are urgent in the demand for in
creased milk production, because
milk is recognized as the best Of all
foods for growth regulation.
To the Eastern farmer who is OBJ
liged to buy or produce fertilizer for
his land, and based upon present
high prices of commercial fertilizer,
there would be a recovery of $1,000
worth Of fertilizer from each ton Of
mill feed consumed by his cattle,
which would, of course, be lost in
case the mill feed were consumed az
human food.
When. the mill feed is consumed
for human food 80 per cent of its
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