Evening star., 1934-10-29
CHEMIST REVEALS
PROGRESS S|NSTUDY
OF WHEAT QUALITY
Progress in ISoIating "Bios"
Reported in Session
Here.
STORY OF CANADIAN
GRAIN BELT RE-TOLD
New Problem Raised This Year
by Deficiency in Protein
Content.

Progress toward isolating "bios" in
wheat flour, which promotes the re-
production of yeast, was described be-
lore the 50th anniversary meeting of
the Association of Official Agricultural
chemists here today by DIR. H. Har-
court, president of the association and
professor of chemistry at the Ontario
Agricultural College.
DR.. Harcourt also told how the diff.
ference OF climatic conditions in a sea-
son may seriously affect the quality of
hour for different uses and told the
strange story of the increase of three
grains Of wheat in 184I to a crop COW
ering half a continent.
Inc chemical nature Of 'bios," which
plays so important a part in baking.
is being studied intensively at the Uni
versity OF Toronto, Dr. Harcourt said.
Hitherto it has been considered as A
single substance. 1t now has been
found to be complex Of three differ
ent substances, two of which it has
been possible to identify.
Canadians Study Problem,
This year, DR.. Harcourt revealed.
the Canadian cereal chemists were
called upon to insure a plentiful supply
OF cakes and pastry from native flour.
Ordinarily Ontario Winter wheat car.
rles about to 10 per cent of protein.
Ihis year, owing to weather condi-
ions during the growing season, the
protein content was 2 or per cent
above the average, making the -four as
a whole less suitable. Some progress
is being made, he said, by selecting the
low protein streams in milling, in
creasing the f1neness of grinding, and
increasing the acidity of the -four. Pro-
tein contents of wheats was shown to
differ considerably according to the
growing location.
The progress Of wheat northward.
almost to the Arctic Circle. was de-
scribed by DR.. Harcourt as beginning
in 1641, when David Fife, an Ontario
farmer, asked a friend to send him
some wheat grains from Northern Eu-
rope. The friend got a handful of
grain from a ship Just docking at
Glasgow from Danzig. Fife planted
the seeds in his garden, but only five
came up, two of which were eaten by
a cow. From the three remaining
plants came the so-called Red Fife
wheat which proved so adapted to the
climate of Canada and the Northern
United States that in the course of a
half century it had spread over the
greater part of the country.
This, in turn, was the foundation
OF the still more productive marquis
wheat, which is credited with play
ing a major part in the allied victory
in the World War. But, DR.. Harcourt
said, with the extension of Canadian
agriculture northward, came the de-
velcpment of still another wheat, the
garnet, which ripens from 10 days
to two weeks earlier than marquis and
can be grown almost up to the Arctic
Circle. The present problem is to get
wheat from the Far North of as good
quality as that grown farther South.
Already, he pointed out, one of the
great wheat countries of the world is
the Peace River district, north of Ed
monton
Progress toward preserving the vita
minis and other food qualities of fruits
and vegetables in the canning process
was described in the annual Wiley
memorial address by DR.. w. D. Bige-
low, former assistant chief of the
Bureau of Chemistry.
The old customs of sulphur and
molaSses to thin out the blood in
the Spring" of various Spring tonics,
and of a whole closet full of patent
medicines, it was pointed out, have
largely disappeared because of the
progress made in preserving the vita
min and mineral content Of foods.
Spring "Tonics" Useless.
The past generation canned goods,
but did not understand the chemical
principles involved. Formerly the
rundown" feeling in the Spring was
due to the accumulated effects Of an
inadequate diet during the Winter.
The patent medicines, given just when
people were beginning to eat greens
and garden products again, seemed to
act like magic in restoring pep"
although they actually had nothing
to do with it.
Most Of the natural vitamins in
fruits and vegetables can be retained
during the canning process, DR.. Bige-
low said, although usually in q slight
ly less amount. Attention now Is
turning to study Of the possible loss
Of other chemical constituents, such
as minerals, which may have an i'm
portant effect on the body.
Experiments, he said, have shown
that rats fed on an entirely canned
diet have q better growth curve and
show more bone ash than those fed
entirely on fresh products. 1t has also
been shown that there may be long
time effects with experimental ami
mails, so that application of these re-
suits to human beings is very difficult.
Among the latest complexities to
challenge the food chemist, it was
pointed out, are the differences in
mineral and protein contents Of food
grown in different localities, the ef-
fects of extremely minute differences
In composition, and the fact that
foods which appear to have identical
chemical compositions may have quite
different effects on the body.