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Chap. 13.] DEGREE OF FINENESS FOR FLOUR.

with a smooth or rough-faced hammer, many light strokes,until a dust begins to appear, which frets the flinty part,and makes it softer and sharper. The stone will neverbe in the best order for cleaning the bran, without firstgrinding a little sand, to sharpen all the little edgesformed by the pores of the stone; the same sand may beused several times. The stones may be sharpened with-out being taken up, or even stopped; to do this, take halfa pint of sand, and hold the shoe from knocking, to letthem run empty; then pour in the sand, and this willtake the glaze ofF the face, and whet up the edges so thatthey will grind considerably better: this ought to beoften done.*

Some are in the practice of letting stones run formonths without being dressed; but I am well convincedthat those who dress them well twice a week, are fullypaid for their trouble.

article 111.

OF THE MOST PROPER DEGREE OF FINENESS FOR FLOUR.

As to the most proper degree of fineness for flour,millers differ in their opinion; but a great majority, andmany of the most experienced, and of the best judgment,agree in this; that if the flour be made very fine, it willbe killed, (as it is termed,) so that it will not rise orferment so well in baking; but I have heard many goodmillers give it as their opinion, that flour cannot bemade too fine, if ground with sharp, clean stones, pro-vided they be not suffered to rub against each other; andsome of those millers do actually reduce almost all themeal they get out of the wheat into superfine flour; bywhich means they have but two kinds; namely, super-fine flour, and horse-feed; which is what is left after the

* Care should be taken to prevent the sand from getting’ mixed with the meal;it should be caught in some vessel, the stone being suffered to run quite empty;the small quantity that will remain in the stone will not injure the flour.