St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-09-24
LOOK OUT FOR SMUT.
Chief Grain Inspector ClauSen
Gives Farmers Some
Timely Advice.
Frosted Wheat and Smutty
Wheat Should Be Care
fully Separated.
Shippers Will Thereby Obtain
Much Better Prices for
Their Grain
And Friction With the Grain
Inspectors Will Be OBJ
Waited.

A very important circular-important
10 the grain growers and shippers of
the Northwest-was yesterday issued
by Chief Inspector \. c. Clausen. 1t
impresses the necessity of separating
frosted and smutted wheat from the
perfect grain and should be needed by
all concerned. Ii is as follows:
STATE OF MINNESOTA, OFFICE OF CHIEF IN
sPECToR OF GRAIN, ST. PAUL, Mimi, Sept %
IS9l.-To the Northwestern Grain Growers
and Shippers: Notwithstanding the fact that
the people OF the Northwest have this year
been blessed with by far the most bountful
crop of wheat which has ever been produced
in its history and although IN character ana
quality this grain. generally speaking. is OF
high standard, there are locanties in North
ern Minnesota and Dakota where ii suffered
more or less injury from frost and smut. The
amount of late sown wheat which was caught
by the early trosts is somewhat larger than
has been generally estimated, and the pro-
portion of smutty wheat arriving at the
terminal points is also in excess OF what
has been anticipated. 1t would be
very unreasonable expectation that the vast
area of land which was seeded 10 wheat TINS
year in the three states, comprising S,25O, 600
of acres should produce crop absolutely
free from blemishes, and the purpose OF the
communication is not so much TO dwell upon
this self-evident proposition as TO offer few
suggestions to farmers and shippers as to the
best and most profitable method OF handling
and disposing of this damaged grain. Upon
those who have good, sound wheat as well as
frosted wheat, cannot too strongly urge the
importance of maintaining complete sep
aration, as wheat containing perceplDle
quantity of frosted wheat cannot go into
high grade under the rules of inspection.
Again. where there is any marked difference
in the frosted grain in the degree of damage
done, there should be two or three separa-
tons made in order to preserve the better
ploeCaS intact Some Of the frosted grain can be
milled into fairly good flour, while the very
poorest of IT is absolutely unfit for flour
making purposes, therefore 1t is obvious that
in order to secure the best results 1t is or
paramount importance that there should be
q careful separation between the poorer and
better qualities.
In regard to smutty wheat, the unexpected
prevalence of this evil in so many localltles
and over such wide area this season, makes
1t one of the most serious and perplexing
questions that the inspection department is
called upon TO contend with. The more
handling that smutty wheat is subjected TO,
the more deteriorated in quality, and con-
sequently in value, does ii become. This
fact being thoroughly understood and
realized, large discounts are always made by
grain buyers TO protect themselves against
the inevitable loss that follows the handling
of this class of grain. A large proportion of
this gram can be fitted for high grade II 1t
Is cleaned by the farmer and country shipper
before being sent to the terminal points, ana
before the smut balls become dry and brittle.
Every farmer who can possibly do so
should possess himself Of tanning mill, and
carefully clean his smutty wheat before de-
hyering il at the local elevator; the profits
accruing from one carload handled in this
way would purchase three or four tanning
mills Country elevator agents should keep
The smutty wheat which they receive, sepa-
rated from the better qualities and whenever
cleaning facilities are available, should care
fully clean it before shipment From one to
three grades can be saved if this course is
pursued. The inevitable effect of handling
smutty wheat in the large warehouses at the
terminal points, where it falls into bins of
great depth, is TO break the brittle, fragile
shells which enclose the smut Spores and
scatter their contents over the grain, thus
ascoloring and deteriorating all grain with
which it comes III contact.
To properly appreciate the condition of
Emutty grain after it has been handled
through the large terminal elevators, let the
reader take a small quantity of grain contain
Ing three or four smut balls and rub 1t thor
oughly between the palms of the hands, and
observe the result. He will find the ends of
the berries painted black, and an extremely
offensive odor arising from them, which at
taches itself permanently. Grain i'll this
condition, no matter what its quality may
otherwise be, is rejected" in every market
in this country.
In the terminal warehouses. the grains of
wheat the natural process of handling, are
forcibly thrown to great depth, and tossed
about and rubbed together TO such an extent
luul lIc cOlulllOu IcSullllB lu0Ic1rOul III lIC
case of smutty wheat, is as above described
The farmer who desires to secure the most
money out of his smutty wheat, should clean
it thoroughly and carefully, before Offering
ii for sale.
1t is the aim and desire of this department
to do justice to all parties. The great bulk
of the grain in the Northwest this season. as
has been heretofore stated. is of fine quality,
and will bring correspondingly remunerative
prices, if the standard of grades is not low
cred by the contamination of smutted and
frosted gram. Justice to those farmers who
have raised a good quality of grain, and
they constitute this season the great major
1ty, demands that extreme care should be eX-
ercised to prevent the loss and depreciation
in the value of the whole product which
would inevitably result from any impairment
of its now recognized high standard.
Another suggestion i desire to offer: All
badly damaged grain, or grain of very poor
quality which would be likely to inspect as
rejected or mo grade" should be shipped
only to a market where it can be disposed of
by sample upon its merits. If shipped to a
strictly grade market. it must be disposed of
at any arbitrary grade price. which is gener-
ally fixed and based upon the very lowest
qualities of that grade.
A little care and attention on the part of
farmers and shippers along the line herein
suggested, would not only aid us in our work,
bnt | am thoroughly convinced would re-
suit in securing to the producers much more
nearly the full value of their wheat Very
respectfully, A c. CLAUsEN,
Chief Inspector.