WHEAT RESEARCH

Evening Star, Issue 19857, 4 May 1928, Page 5

WHEAT RESEARCH

PLANS FOR NEW INSTITUTE EXPERIMENTAL FLOUR MILL THE PROPOSED STAFF [Special to the 1 Stag.’] WELLINGTON, May 3. Valuable work planned by the Wheat Research Institute, which is being established in Canterbury, was outlined to the executive of the Farmers’ Union by Mr W. W. Mulholland (of Darfield). He explained that a number ol farmers and others had combined in Canterbury, and had succeeded, with the cooperation of the Department of Scientific Research j in establishing a Wheat Research Institute, and on the previous day in Christchurch the council had been completed. On this council were representatives of wheat growers, flour millers, grain growers, bakers, the Department of .Agriculture, and the Department of Scientific Research. A small levy was to be imposed on flour, payable by millers and bakers, and this was to be adjusted so as to make the payment about Id per bushel. This the Government would subsidise to the extent of pound for pound. The objects of the institute were by means of scientific research and investigation, to improve the method of growing wheat, to devise the best mixtures of wheat to use in milling in order to get the best possible flour. The institute could help the baking trade in such questions as the development of fungi in flour, and in ascertaining its strength so as to maintain a definite standard. Bakers had many technical difficulties which required profound scientific investigation in aiming at getting a uniformly good loaf. Tho institute staff was in process of appointment. It would probably include a very highly qualified cereal chemist, with necessary assistance, and also possibly a cereal expert, who would have charge of the practical part of the work. The institute had made arrangements for establishing _ a laboratory in Christchurch, and it had already certified a considerable quantity of seed wheat as coming up to a high standard of purity and grade. This would be available for distribution among farmers. The grain merchants in the South Island were heartily co-operating with the Cereal Institute, and they had a representative on the council. Amongst the apparatus required would ho an experimental flour mill for the purpose of testing the wheats of the •dominion, and determining, _ both for farmers and bakers, the milling quality and value of particular samples. It was therefore hoped that presently the institute would be in a position to advise definitely on the value of particular samples, and to devise grades whereby they could be definitely classified, instead of the present rather approximate methods. The institute would he able to determine for the millers the most economical mixtures of wheat necessary to produce the best quality of flour. Tho whole of tho work would result n improving the wheat offered, reducing losses and expenses of milling, improving the quality of the flour, and finally improving very considerably the loaf produced. At the same time, by improving all methods from the soil to the breakfast table, it would cheapen the cost of the loaf.

Air Mulholland stressed the point that there would be no overlapping of departments as the result of the institute’s work, because it was closely cooperating with Lincoln College and the Department of Agriculture.