IV. Where the Wheat Comes From
At the table the next evening the children were still talking about their visit to the bakery.
“Well, children,” said their father, “we followed the flour through the bakery to the loaf on our table. What do you say if we take a little journey to the place where the wheat comes from.”
“Fine!” cried Wallace. “When can we start?”
“Right now, son, but it will be a stay-at-home journey,” said Mr. Duwell; and everybody laughed.
“Let us see,” Mr. Duwell went on; “where did the thousand bags of flour we saw in the bakery come from?”
“I know,” said Ruth. “I read ‘Minn.’ on one of the bags.”
“Good, Ruth,” said her father. “That is what I call using your eyes. What does ‘Minn.’ stand for?”
“Min-ne-so-ta,” answered Wallace quickly.
“Correct! Minnesota has great wheat fields, and so have North and South Dakota, Kansas, and many other states; but the wheat in our loaf grew in Minnesota.
“Wallace, step over to the bookcase and bring me the large book marked ‘W.’”
Wallace brought it in a moment.
Mr. Duwell opened the book and found some colored pictures.
“Here we are,” said he. “What does it say under the first picture, Ruth?”
“‘Reaping and Binding Wheat,’” read Ruth, bending over the book.
“Right! There is our loaf growing, and there is the machine cutting the wheat and tying it into bundles. What does it say under this picture, Wallace?”
“‘Threshing by Steam,’” read Wallace.
“Yes—taking the wheat from the straw and chaff. What comes next, Ruth?”
“‘Grain El-e-va-tor,’” read Ruth.
“What is a grain elevator?” asked Mr. Duwell.
“Why, the place where the wheat is stored until needed.”
“Yes,” said Mr. Duwell, “some elevators are so large that they will hold nearly two million bushels of wheat.”
“Plenty large enough to hold our loaf,” added Mrs. Duwell.
“Now read again, Wallace.”
“‘In-te-ri-or of Flour Mill,’” read Wallace.
“Yes, that is where they grind the wheat into white flour and remove the bran.”
“Bran is the outside coat, isn’t it?” asked Ruth.
“Yes, that’s it! Now read again.”
“‘Train Being Loaded with Flour,’” read Ruth.
“Yes, that must be a picture of the fifteen car loads of flour used every week by the Spotless Bakery.”
“I never would have believed it took so many people to make a loaf of bread,” exclaimed Mrs. Duwell. “Let me see: the plowman, the sower, the reaper,—go on, Wallace.”
“The thresher, the miller, the train-men, the baker—” added Wallace.
“And the baker’s horses,” finished Ruth.