The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1915-09-03
DAMP WHEAT
MAY Be Handled SdtiSfdCtOr.
lily By Mixing

washington, ~. ", Aug. ol-MuCu
of the new crop of wheat as delivered
from the farm this year has high
moisture content which If 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, method
whereby part of the damp wheat of
this years crop can We 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 mat same
city.
The experiment described was per-
formed to determine If 1t would be
possible or feasible 10 handle damp
wheat in such way that it would not
be necessary to put it through CON-
mercial drier and yet insure its keep
ing safely In storage or during ship
ment.
For this experiment one car Of Pa
cific Coast white wheat containing
1898 bushels was mixed with one car
of Eastern red winter wheat contain
| ing 1926 bushels, and put into storage
in an elevator bin. On July 20, sam.
pies taken from the white wheat while
1t was still in the car tested 81 per
cent in moisture. Samples taken from
the red wheat on July 81 while this
wheat was also still nj the car tested
1871 per cent. 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 il
was transferred tested 1873 per cent
per cent for the white wheat. The
wheat was allowed to remain in the
second bin until August 10 when il
was transferred to a third bin. Sam
pies taken at this time showed that
the moisture content of the red wheat
was 1875 per cent and of the white
wheat, 1910 per cent. While the grain
was still in the cars the red wheat
tested higher in moisture by "a pei
6, or three days after the wheats wer,
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-tenths of one per cent
BY August TO- or one week after the
wheats had been mixed, the difference
in their moisture contents had beer
reduced TO only one-half of one pc
cent.
In order to have a record of the TEN
perature changes in the grain durinI
this experiment, four electrical theI
mometers were placed at differen
depths in the bin into which the mix
ture was run. No appreciable chang
in temperature was noticed during tn
transfer of the moisture from the re-
to the white wheat.
The mixing Of damp and dry whea
will facilitate the handling of the we
wheat this year. The miller who buy
wet wheat and has some dry wheat t
mix with it can obviate some of tn
extra work in handling the dam
wheat to keep it in condition and ais
get it in shape for milling by miXin
the two wheats together for a fey
days This will also do away with paI
of the extra work in drying. One ca
OF wheat can be dried down to lo'
moisture content and then mixed wit
another car of high moisture conter
wheat and time and labor be savet
If the mills or elevators are equippe
so that they can mix and dry at tn
same time, this method will great
increase their capacity for taking car
of large quantities of damp wheat.
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