The Northern Pacific farmer. [volume] (Wadena, Minn.) 1878-1885, 1883-01-04
GRADING wheat in Minnesota

Grading Wheat in Minnesota.
The following petition to the Legislature has
teen prepared by the committee appointed by
the Blue Earth County Farmers alliance, In
regard to the vexed question Of wheat grades.
Copies have boon sent to all the subordinate
alliances for signature, and they are then to
be returned to the committee for presentation
to the legislature:
Minnesota, situated in tho center Of tho spring
wheat belt, together with the character Of ito SOIL
Innate and modes OF thought of her farmers. must
Ct necessity b: Great
$4,000 900 Of bushels, and promises to be greatly
increased In the near future. Aud tho large devel-
opnaent Of the -four manufacturing interest Of The
State now exceeding the amount produced by the
farmers Of tho State, places the wheat interest par.
amount to all Others. The present system of grad
ing wheat By means Of the testers has always been
unsatisfactory to tho producer The farmer does not
believe that the number Of kernels Of wheat that
tester will contain, In order to weigh given
amount Is the honest expression of the wheat value
tull with the smallest number Of kernels possible.
and experience enables him to 80 manipulate his
tester as to effect this object to the detrment Of
tho seller, aud he find. the wheat to weigh So
pounds, SO pounds, or 81 pounds, as the case may
be, but Always takes 60 pounds as the selling busheL
Your petitioners believe that. the weight of tho
perlence has taught Us that get Is much and as
good hoat at our custom and tolling mills from
Nos. and s as from No. !. The lower grades OF
wheat. owing to the irregular, anguler form
Of the kernels and larger development Of beard
in proportion to the siEe Of tho Kernels Of
cupy moro space In the tester than the smooth,
oval. less beardy higher grades: or id other words,
the unoccupied spaces between the kernels being
greater and al there are fewer kernels in the tester
it weighs less It 10 the belief Of your petitioners
that the inspection Of wheat and establishing of it,
value should be controlled by law to place It
beyond the power of the buyer to determine its
value, anu 20 thoroughly investigated aud illus
trated "a to make it plain to both producers and
purchasers. We offer for your consideratidn tie
grading Of wheat upon the basin 81 ita food value,
seientiao. isse.t,estion. 'A' in GU. sister
States Of Wisconsin, Iowa and Michigan,
through tho medium Of their agricultural colleges,
have solved many q problem Of practical, yaloe to
the farmers, and our university, with It's magnif-
cent grant Of land by the General government for
agricultural education, should lend Its aid in solving
this and other questions of practical value to the
farmer. And scientific men, who investigate Ques-
ttous for truths sake alooe and have no pecuniary
interests at stake, are the proper to give an
impartial solution to this question.
THE FOLLOWING CHEMICAL ANALYSIS
of wheat was made at the university BY request Of
| tho Blue Earth County Farmers alliance, and
shows its face the startling fact that there Is
practical difference In the food value Of the three
grades Of wheat investigated. the small margin Of
| difference being in favor of No. 2.
/ rHH ANATYSYQ