Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1915-08-31
NEW WHEAT CROP IS
HIGH N MOISTURE
Methods Of Handling Without
Putting Through Drying
Process.
AGRICULTURAL DEPT.
A X EXPERIMENTS
Storage of Wet Wheat Very
Likely to Make It Musty
and Hot.

StOI, ~, Aug. SU.-AMuCu!
of the new crop Of wheat as delivered
from the farm this year has a high
moisture content which ii put into
storage without special treatment is
very likely to cause trouble by becom-
ing musty and hot.
BY mixing high,moisture and low
moisture wheat together, a method.
whereby part Of the damp wheat of
this years crop can be put into good
condition was demonstrated in an ex-
pertinent at Baltimore which was d.
rected by a grain standardization spe-
cialist Of the Department of Agricul.
ture in cooperation with the Gambrill
Manufacturing Company of that same
city.
The experiment described was per-
formed to determine if it would be
possible or feasible to handle damp
wheat in such a way that it would not
be necessary to put it through a COM
mercial drier and yet insure it's keep
ing safely in storage or during ship
ment.
For this experiment one car of Pa
cifc Coast white wheat containing
1898 bushels was mixed with n car
Of Eastern red winter wheat contain.
ing 1926 bushels, and put into stor.
age in an elevator bin. On July 20,
samples taken from the white wheat
while it was still in the car tested 81
percent in moisture. Samples taken
from the red wheat on July 81 while
this wheat also was still in the car
tested ISL percent. These wheats
were thoroughly mixed on August 3
and the mixture was then put Into
storage in an elevator bin and allowed
to remain there until August 6, when
it was transferred to another bin.
Samples taken from the wheat at the
time it was transferred tested 1873 per-
cent moisture for the red wheat and
1872 percent for the white wheat. The
wheat was allowed to remain In the
second bin until August 10 when it
was transferred to a third bin. Sam
pies taken at this time showed that
the moisture content Of the red wheat
was 1875 percent and OF. the white
wheat, 1910 percent While the grain
was still in the cars the red wheat
tested higher in moisture by 5.4 per
cent than the white wheat. By Aug
s. or three days after the wheats were
mixed, enough, Of the moisture from
the damp wheat had been transferred
to the dry wheat SO that the diner
ence in their moisture content at that
time was only seven.tenths Of one per-
cent. BY August 10, or. one week after
the wheats had been, mixed; the differ.
ence in their moisture contents had
been reduced to only one-half percent.
In order to have asrecord; of the tenn
perature changes In tho grain during
this experiment, four electrical ther-
mometers were placed at different
depths in. the bin into which the mix
ture was run. No. apprectable change
in temperature Was, noticed during the
transfer Of the moisture from the red
to the white wheat.
The mixing Of damp and dry wheat
will facilitate the handling Of. the wet
wheat this year. The miller who tuys
wet wheat and has some dry wheat to
mix with 1t can ,obyiate some Of: the ex-
ira work, in, handling the damp wheat
to keep it in condition and also get It
in shape for milling by mixing the two
wheats together. for a few Gays. This
will also do away with part OF the
extra work in drying: One car Of
wheat. can. be dried down to a low
moisture content ndsthen mixed with
another car. Of highs moisture content
wheat and time and. labor be saved. II