Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1878-10-14
a FARMERS EXPERIENCE
Hon. James MiddLetOn Tells H0sv Wash
bW1N's minneapolis Ring Cheated Him.
WOnDR11RY 0ctnhar 3 1873

Hon. James Middleton Tells Ho,v Wash
burns Minneapolis Ring Cheated Him.
WOODBURY., October, 3, 1878.
EDITOR SALTWATER REpUBLICAN.--As wheat
and wheat grading seem to be the leading
topics of discussion, both among farmers and
with leading newspapers of the State, I have
ventured to take hand in. do not appear
for political effect, as it is claimed some do,
but ask for information in regard to the new
tester, or brass kettle, so called.
What law do we have for the brass testers
For whose benefit were they made, the farm
facts have discovered, for the benefit or
disadvantage of whom it may concern. Liv-
ing, as do, at the hub, I sell wheat at
different points around the felly,
where can to the best advantage;
at Saltwater, ST. Paul, Newport, At
ton, Lakeland, Hastings, or elsewhere. Some
four weeks since took wheat to Newport, to
have it tested, and get price. q. HI. Fow-
Ter, the agent there, filled up his tester, and
called it fifty-four pounds. I said ssMr.
Fowler, it is fifty-six and a half pounds %
"Oh, butt" says he, "my tester is two and
half pounds too large" He said he didn't
know how it was, OF what made it so. In re-
ply to further questions he said that he
bought his tester several years ago, when
the first came out, and thought then it was
all right, and bought wheat accordingly.
Two years ago ne discovered that all the
wheat he bought fell short one pound on
bushel, when shipped to its destination. He
therefore had to allow for one pound. Last
year he did not use the tester, as all wheat
graded extra No. L. He generally buys for
the Minneapolis mills, and on sending his
first shipment this season (of the new wheat),
after deducting one pound he fonnd that he
was still one and half pounds out of the
way, that the new testers were SO much
smaller than this, and he was obliged to buy
as he could sell.
Now, I should like to know who author
lied the new testers, and if the first ones
were right, why the new ones are made
smaller? The old ones were stamped gu.
S. standard" The new ones are stamped
the same. Were the first made in the inter
est of the farmer until no more could be
sold, and now are the makers getting out a
lot in the interest of the buyers, SO they can
supply every one over again? see that
nearly all millers and wheat buyers have the
new.
I have been informed by leading wheat
man in ST. Paul that they discovered that
the old testers we're one pound too large, but
he thought that was al. Now, editors are
supposed to know all things, and should
like to have you tell us, if you can, the his
tory of the tester, and why it has been re-
duced in weight. The Lord knows our whea,
is poor enough in grade, this year, without
reducing it further by the tester.
have taken the same sample of wheat tc
Alton, Newport and the different elevators
in st. Paul, and to some of the mills. and
they all varied somewhat in the weight, max.
ing difference of three ourths of a pound
to the bushel, enough to reduce it from one
grade to another.
While in your city, last week, attending
the county fair, heard a great deal of com
plant among farmers about grading and
price of wheat in Saltwater. AS to the grad.
ing, do not know anything about it, but as
to the price, your city has paid about five
cents bushel more than we could realize
either at ST. Paul, Newport or Alton, for the
same grade, since new wheat came in. ]
hauled 2,4OO bushels of wheat to Saltwater
last winter and spring, for the reason that
I could realize more for it there than else
where. l have sold a large amount al
Alton this fall Fat five cents per bushel less
than Saltwater price, for the reason that in 8
very busy time five cents bushel would moi
pay for the difference in hauling. am
pIOuu W 800 SALTWATER becoming so muCn o.
wheat center, and shall certainly market
wheat there whenever it will pay me, and
hope your millers will do nothing in grading
to injure their market.
In st. Paul, yesterday, I was informed thai
millers there are making five cents Del
pound difference in the weight of wheat
For instance, they pay five cents per bushe
more for wheat that weighs ffty-fye pounds
than for that weighing ffty-four. Thus
they pay in more exact proportion to weight