The different methods of milling at present in use may be generally
divided into three distinct processes, which, for want of any better
names, I will distinguish as old style, new process, and gradual
reduction. Perhaps the German division of low milling, half high
milling, and high milling is better. Old style milling was that in
general use in this country up to 1870, and which is still followed in
the great majority of small custom or grist mills. It is very simple,
consisting of grinding the wheat as fine as possible at the first
grinding, and separating the meal into flour, superfine or extra,
middlings, shorts, and bran. Given a pair of millstones and reel long
enough, and the wheat could be made into flour by passing through the
two. Because spring wheat was so poorly adapted to this crude process,
it had to be improved and elaborated, resulting in the new process.

At first this merely consisted of purifying and regrinding the middlings
made in the old way. In its perfected state it may be said to be halfway
between the old style and gradual reduction, and is in use now in many
mills. In it mill stones are used to make the reductions which are only
two in number, in the first of which the aim of the miller is to make as
many middlings as he can while cleaning the bran reasonably well, and
in the second to make the purified middlings into flour. In the most
advanced mills which use the new process, the bran is reground and the
tailings from the coarse middlings, containing germ and large middlings
with pieces of bran attached, are crushed between two rolls. These
can hardly be counted as reductions, as they are simply the finishing
touches, put on to aid in working the stuff up clean and to permit of
a little higher grinding at first. Regarding both old style and new
process milling, you are already posted. Gradual reduction is newer,
much more extensive, and merits a much more thorough explanation. Before
entering upon this I will call your attention to one or two points which