Fig. 10. The left-hand loaf was made from average English wheat. The loaf in the centre was made from Burgoyne’s Fife, and is practically identical in size and shape with the right-hand loaf which was made from imported No. 1 Manitoba] It was at this point that Mendel’s discoveries came to the rescue. Working on the Mendelian lines already explained, Biffen at Cambridge crossed Red Fife with many of the best English varieties. From one of the crosses he was able to isolate a new variety in which are combined the strength of Red Fife and the vigour and cropping power of the English parent. This variety, known as Burgoyne’s Fife, has been grown and distributed by members of the Millers’ Association. In 1911 on the average of 28 separate trials it yielded 38 bushels per acre, which is well above the average of the best English varieties. It has been repeatedly milled and baked, and its strength is between 90 and 100, practically the same as that of Red Fife. It has been awarded many prizes at agricultural shows for quality, and it commands on markets where the local millers have found out its baking qualities about the same price as the best foreign strong wheats, that is to say from 4_s._ to 5_s._ per quarter more than the average price of home grown wheat. Taking a fair average yield of wheat as four quarters per acre, Burgoyne’s Fife gives to the farmer an increased return over the ordinary varieties of about 16_s._ per acre. The introduction of such a variety makes the production of strong wheat in England a practicable reality, and will be a boon both to the farmer and to the inland miller. It is likely too that the possibility of obtaining a better return per acre will induce farmers to grow more wheat. Anything that tends to increase the production of home grown wheat and makes Great Britain less dependent on foreign supplies is a national asset of the greatest value. It is of the greatest importance to the miller that he should be able to determine the strength of the wheats he buys. Obviously the method mentioned above, which entails milling enough of the sample to enable him to bake a batch of bread, is far too lengthy to be of use in assessing the value of a sample with a view to purchase. The common practice is for the miller or corn merchant to buy on the reputation of the various grades of wheat, which he confirms by inspection of the sample. Strength is usually associated with certain external characters which can readily be judged by the eye of the practised wheat buyer. Strong wheats are usually red in colour, their skin is thin and brittle, the grain is usually rather small, and has a very characteristic horny almost translucent appearance. The grains are extremely hard and brittle, and when broken the inside looks flinty. On chewing a few grains the starch is removed and there remains in the mouth a small pellet of gluten, which is tough and elastic like rubber, but not sticky.