Page:Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales, Volume 44.djvu/16

4 the kind of flour. The manufacture of yeast of uniform strength is also dependent on the use of scales and the thermometer. Tn addition, it is necessary to use simple bacteriological means to ensure sufficient purity in the yeast. These means of sterilisation are just as simple and as easily applied as those means used in every well regulated household in the cooking and preservation of food. For months together, bread has been made with the same yeast. A little yeast is kept over from each brew to start the brew for the next batch of bread.

The bakehouse is always open to inspection. Any baker can see how clean, spick and span a bakehouse can be kept. There are no mysterious processes that cannot be readily copied. The time saved in making the bread as compared with that of the average bakehouse is several hours daily. Yet there are difficulties in getting bakers to adopt the methods used. The baker looks with mistrust on the thermometer and the systematic use of scales. He claims that he knows without weighing or measuring how much water to add when making a dough. He is sure he can judge of temperatures without using a thermometer. He is surprised that the number of loaves from a ton of flour varies so much, and is sure that no one can always get the same number of loaves from a ton of the same flour. He remarks that he has made bread for thirty years, and that no one knows better how to make bread.

The School of Bakery in the Technical College is intended to afford instruction in making bread. The attendance of apprentices is small. There is a widespread feeling that the apprentice will learn sufficient in the bakehouse from the baker to whom he is apprenticed, without coming to the College, it is granted that he does not learn as much as he would by attending the Technical College, but it is asserted that he learns sufficient for his purpose. If he can make bread as well as his father or his grandfather, that is enough. Surely it will be advantageous to the whole community if the hours spent in making bread are materially lessened. This example serves to make evident what is the problem in the application of science to industry. The