Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1905-10-21
ARouT sMuTTY WHEAT GRADES.

''The millers' association says that
'smutty wheat can, by no known pro-
cess. be made No. after cleaning,
and that, therefore, it should not be
graded by the state Mol or as
may be-if smutte.d' 1t is gaining
nothing for the shippers, they say,
to grade it No. / or No. 2, if smutty,
because the value of it is then left to
the receiver to place, as compared
with No. /, and this varies every sea-
son, according to the quantity of smut
wheat there is to be taken care of.
"Answer-If the present method of
classifying smutty wheat gains moth
ing for the shipper, if he does not,
consequently, harm the receiver. If
this designation, of No. l if smut
ted, does neither harm nor good to
any one, why this anxiety to have the
title changed?
"The association argues that this
designation of No. : if smutted' is a
misnomer; that smutty wheat cannot
be made No. by any process, and,
therefore, all smutty wheat should be
classified rejected.
"Answre--If all smutty wheat was
classified rejected, it would thus be
put in class which takes in sprouted
mouldy and musty wheat, which are
only fit for feed. 1t would be given
title which implies that the wheat
as graded cannot be made fit for mill
ing. Wouldn't that be a much gre ate
misnomer for smutty wheat than that
of No. or No. 2 if smutted, which
appelation means that the grain is
No. in quality, excepting that it is
smutty, and that when that wheat is
properly cleaned of its smut, by
shutters or washers, it is fit for mill
ing. Why plead misnomer, and ask
that it be replaced by greater mis-
homer?
IF it is true, and this millers' as
ISOLATION must admit that it is, that
No ]. wheat which is smutty is more
valuable than No. wheat bearing a
like amount of smut, then it inevita-
bly, follows that the state designation
of No. l or No. 2 if smutted' does
benefit the shipper, and likewise ever,
honest buyer, by helping to determine
what is the value, and the proper basis
for settlement, on that wheat.
1.-THE millers' association says:
Smutty wheat can only be useC
after cleaning by mixing with large
quantity of other wheat and delivering
to the party receiving it without his
knowledge of there having been smutty
wheat in the lot "
Answer-lt is sold along with
wheat that has not been smutted,
openly in San Francisco. Under date
of September 8, 1905, the chief in
spector of the San FRANCISCO Merchants
exchange wrote this commission as
follows: No. l, if smutted, take
not to exceed 200 sacks of smutted
wheat in one hundred ton option
lot of wheat, and then only if prop
erly smutted and free from the effects
of plaster; and about the same pro-
portion in cargo lots. This figures
1872 per cent acceptance of wheat
which has been smutted. AS the San
Francisco exporter deals with the same
foreign buyers that the Tacoma ex-
porter does, it is difficult to see why
the Tacoma exporter cannot likewise
openly and readily dispose of his No.
wheat when smutted at No. wheat
price.
but how about the millers? The
cargoes exported from San Francisco
containing 1872 per cent of wheat
which has been smutted, eventually
reach the miller.
1.-THE chief deputy inspector of grain
for Minneapolis, under date of SEN
TENDER 9, 1905, syas: To my knowl-
edge there are no concerns here which
make a practice of cleaning smutty
wheat except the mills, and then lust
prior to the grinding. The mllers
wash their wheat to get rid of the
smut just before they put it through