The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram., 1915-08-30
HANDLING DAMP
wheat TO SAVE
CROP FOR SALE
u. S. Specialists Cooperate
With Baltimore Mill to
Prevent New Wheat From
Becoming Musty.

WASHINGTON, Aug. 30.-Much of
the new crop of wheat as delivered
from the farm this year has a high
moisture content which, if put into
storage without special treatment is
very likely to cause trouble by becom-
ing musty or hot. .4tr -
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
experiment at Baltimore, which was
directed by grain Standardization
specialist of the department of agricul-
ture in cooperation with the Gambrill
Manufacturing company of the 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 its keep
ing safely in storage or during ship
ment.
Wheat Used for Test.
For this experiment. For this ex-
pertinent one car OF Pacific coast white
wheat containing 1898 bushels was
mixed with one car of Eastern red
winter wheat containing 1926 bushels,
and put into storage in an elevator
bin. On July 20, samples taken from
the white wheat while it was still in
the car, tested 81 per cent in mois-
ture. Samples taken from the red
uhaat Ty,1v whit
was also still in the car, tested ISL
per cent. These wheats were thorough
ly mixed on August 3, and the mix
ture was then put into storage in an
elevator bin and allowed to remain
there until August 6, when 1t was
transferred to another bin. Samples
taken from the wheat at the time it
was transferred tested 1923 per cent
moisture for the red wheat and 1872
per cent 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. Samples taken at this time
showed the moisture content of the
red wheat was 1875 per cent, and Of
the white wheat IL per cent. While
the grain was still in the cars the red
wheat tested higher in moisture by
54 per cent than the white wheat.
BY August G., 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 difference in their moisture
content at that time was only seven
tenth of one per cent. BY August 10,
or one week after the wheats had been
mixed, the difference in their moisture
contents had been reduced to only
one-half of one per cent
Thermometers Used.
In order to have a record of the tenn
perature changes in the grain during
this experiment, four electrical ther-
mometers were placed at different
depths in the bin into which the mix
ture was run. No appreciable 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 buys
wet wheat and has some dry wheat to
mix with it can obviate some of the
extra work in handling the danny
wheat to keep it in condition and also
get it in shape for milling by mixing
the two wheats together for few
days. This will also do away with
part of the extra work in drying. One
car Of wheat can be dried down to low
moisture content and then mixed with
another car of high moisture content
wheat and time and labor be saved
If the mills or elevators are equip
ped SO that they can mix and dry at
the same time, this methodswiH great
ly increase their capacity for taking
care Of large quantities of damp wheat.