—-—-—-—-————————+—-—————+————-——+————-——+————-——+————-——+—-———— Constituents. │ Old │Barley.│ Oats. │ Rye. │ Maize.│ Rice. │ Wheat.│ │ │ │ │ —-—-———————-—-——+————-——+————-——+—-—————+————-——+—-—————+—-———— │ │ │ │ │ │ Water │ 11·1 │ 12·0 │ 14·2 │ 14·3 │ 11·5 │ 10·8 Starch │ 62·3 │ 52·7 │ 66·1 │ 54·9 │ 54·8 │ 78·8 Fat │ 1·2 │ 2·6 │ 4·6 │ 2·0 │ 4·7 │ 0·1 Cellulose │ 8·3 │ 11·5 │ 1·0 │ 6·4 │ 14·9 │ 0·2 Gum and Sugar │ 3·8 │ 4·2 │ 5·7 │ 11·3 │ 2·9 │ 1·6 Albuminoids │ 10·9 │ 13·2 │ 16·0 │ 8·8 │ 8·9 │ 7·2 Ash │ 1·6 │ 2·8 │ 2·2 │ 1·8 │ 1·6 │ 0·9 Loss, &c. │ 0·8 │ 1·0 │ 0·2 │ 0·5 │ 7·0 │ 0·4 +————-——+—-—————+—-—————+—-—————+—-—————+—-———— Total │ 100·0 │ 100·0 │ 100·0 │ 100·0 │ 100·0 │ 100·0 —-—-—-———————-——+—-—————+————-——+————-——+————-——+————-——+—-———— Messrs. Wanklyn and Cooper (_Bread Analysis, &c._, London, 1881) say that, according to their analysis, this wheaten flour, which is the flour commonly to be bought in this country, has the following composition:— Water 16·5 Ash 0·7 Fat 1·5 Gluten 12·0 Vegetable Albumen 1·0 Modified Starch 3·5 Starch Granules 64·8 —-— 100·0 A comparison of these tables by well-known analysts shows us, if we only take the single article of wheat, how the grain varies. Let me now say something about the constituents of wheat in as simple a form as possible. The fat is of a yellow colour, and, as far as is known, is not a particularly valuable component part; but as all fats are foods, of course, it is of service. The starch in wheat is the ordinary starch (of the best kind) of commerce; and, seeing that it forms the greater part of all breadstuffs, it naturally is an important element in them. In good, sound wheat the starch granules are whole; in sprouted wheat, or that heated by damp, they are rotted, and, consequently, the starch they contain is changed, more or less, into dextrin and sugar, and, consequently, a difference is made in the food value of the wheat. Dextrin and sugar are small components of good wheat. The dextrin, no doubt, has a beneficial effect in small quantities, but not in large. Sugar, such as is found in wheat, affords the necessary amount of saccharine matter for fermentation. Cellulose is more useful to the plant than to the miller, to whom it is as so much bran.