St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1896-02-23
LESS SMUT NEEDED
GRAIN INSPECTOR CLAUsEN INyEs-
TIGATES THE PRACTICE az
WASHING sMUTTY WHEAT.
CHEAP, BUT RISKY AS WELL.
SURPLUS MOISTURE IS LIKELY TO
INJURE THE BERRY AND
REMEDY LIES WITH THE FARMER.
MR. CIausen Thinks 1t to His Inter-
est to Cut Off the Smut
Product

Which has revealed a great diversity
OF opinion as to it's practica bility, has
called forth an investigation of the
practice by the state grain inspection
department, the results of which are
Succinctly set forth in the following
letter from Chief Grain Inspector Clau-
sen to the state railroad and ware
house commissions:
liz accordance with the instructions
OF your honorable board that 1 should
investigate, as far as practicable the
process of washing and driving smut
ty wheat, reported to be in practical
operation at several Northwestern
mills, whereby, as it has been alleged,
Wheat tainted with smut is washed
dried and brought into the condition of
prlmme milling wheat at minimum of
expense, beg to state that | have made
careful inquiry into the subject, with
the following result:
[ find that nearly all the large mills
at Minneapolis, and one or two at Du-
luth and Superior, are equipped with fa-
, cllltleS for washing smutty wheat and
with machines for throwing off the su-
perf1uous moisture, thus rendering the
wheat sufficiently dry and properly con-
dltloned for immediate milling [ am
unable to learn that this process is
employed IN other portions of this coun-
try or Canada, except in one or two in
it having been in use for several years
in England, and other foreign coun-
tries, as necessary contriVance for
the removal of clay. smut, stones and
other foul stuff, which is frequently
found intermixed with Indian. Russian
and other inferior foreign wheats. The
treatment of smutty wheat, as now in
vogue, involves two distinct operations
that of washing" and "drying'' or
conditioning" The washing process
Is very simple, and is briefly as follows:
Connected with the bin from which
the smutty wheat (Which has been pre-
vicusly cleaned, as far as possible.
through separators) is to be drawn, is
a galvanized iron spout which carries
the grain down to a worm or conyevor
four to six feet long, running in a
sEeat iron casing, which is perforated
on both sides and bottom. Connected
Win and opening into the iron spout.
and also over the conVeyor at different
intervals are water faucets from which
streams or clear water are drawn into
the moving grain, as it is propelled
through the conveyor, thus thoroughly
washing, or rinsing it, and removing
the smut coating, the dirty water es-
Gaping through the perforations in the
cOnVeyOr casing.
After leaving the cOnVeyor the wheat
In its wet condition, is ready for the
drying or conditioning operation
1Ol lIllS pose Is QlScnar9oQ in
to machine called the 'WhiZZer" The
mission of the WhiZzer is to remove tho
surplus moisture in a sufficiently rapid
and effective manner, to prevent the
water from penetrating the berry to
such an extent as to injure the keep
ing quality of the flour, or the by prod
ucts. There are various machines in
use, all intended to accomplish the
same purpose; the larger mills employ
machines capable of handling from 800
to 800 bushels per hour, the cost of
such machines, when placed and in
operation, being about $500 each. In
some small mills, machines costing
from S15 to 500, with a capacity of
from sixty to seventy bushels per hour
are in use. The machine which seems
to have found general favor in this
section is known as the English
Whizzer,'' a foreign invention, which
has been in use in English mills for
some time, and covered by letters pat
ent in Europe and the United States
The patent for this country and the
right to manufacture and sell this ma
chine, is owned by Carter & Preston.
Minneapolis. While the various ma
chimes differ somewhat in construction
the results obtained therefrom are sim
liar in character.
The 'Whizzer' is conical in shape
with drum inside, and a perforated
Jacket. After entering the whizzer
to 500 revolutions per minute the wet
wheat is subjected to an intense CEN
trifugal action, which throws off the
superfluous water through the perfora-
tiGns, leaving the wheat properly con-
cStloned for milling at any time within
Q few hours.
The cost of the process varies in ac-
cordance with the amount of smut to
be removed, the number and capacity
of the machines in use, and the amount
Of power applied in their operation
Very smutty grain must first be sub
sected to a complicated cleaning proc
SSS before 1T is ready for washing The
large machines require from five to six
horse power each for their operation.
When the power is applied in this di-
rect1on it detractS in the same ratio
from the grinding capacity of the mill
and is figured as an item of expense
In some mills experience and close
study has made it possible to operate
the new system economically, safely
and with good profits. In others va
rious results have followed. Some mills
report large losses as a result of their
bran, shorts and other feedstuffs get
ting heated and spoiled by reason of
too much moisture. In several cases
flour had been spoiled in the process
1t may therefore be said that it is
hardly beyond its experimental stage
as yet The operation of washing and
conditioning wheat by the new meth
cd requires great care, judgment and
experience, to be productive Of salts
factory results. The vital point in the
operation seems to be in the applica-
ton of the proper amount of water
to ensure thorough washing without
subsequent damage. With the rivalry
existing between the large millers
more or less secrecy is maintained. as
to each miller'S particular method of
washing and tempering. The machin-
cry itself is, however, open to inspec-
ton, and the patentees, Mesrs. Carter
and Preston, afforded me every oppor-
tunity to examine 1t, and expressed
themselves as ready at all times to
fully explain its operation and dem
onstrate its merits. That it is most
important and valuable addition to
modern milling machinery, is beyond
question, and no mill will hereafter be
considered fully equipped without it.
More or less SPECULATION and COM
ment as to the ultimate effect on values
of this class Of grain through the in
PRODUCTION and general adoption by
the nlillers Of the country Of the new
machinery has been INDUCED in 1t
can hardly be gainsaid that with
the increased facilities for utilizing
wheat of this character, an increased
demand and wider market will be Gre
ated. In fact there have been marked
evidences, during the last two seasons,
of tendency toward Improvement In
values, in the prices paid for wheat
affected by smut in Northwestern mar
kets, as compared with previous sea-
sons. Formerly such wheat found
from three to nine cents per buslIel
below No I northern ul1Ota tiOnS while