The Liberal democrat. [volume] (Liberal, Kan.) 1911-1924, 1915-10-01
Handling Damp Wheat

Much 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 becoming musty and hot
BY mixing high.m DISTURB and low
moisture wheat together, method
whereby part of the damp wheat OF
Il is years crop can be put into good
condil ion was demonstrated in an ex-
pertinent at Baltimore which was di-
rected by grain Standardization
specialist of the department in coop
Grafton with the Cambria Manufact-
uring Company, of that city.
The experiment described was per-
formed to determine if it would be
possible or feasible to handle damp
wheat in such way that it would
not be necessary to put it through a
commercial drier and yet insure It's
Keeping safely in storage or during
shipment.
For this experiment, one car OF Pa
cihc coast white wheat containing |,
098 bushels was mixed with one car
of eastern red winter wheat contain
ing ! ,126 bushels, and put into storage
in an elevator bin. On July 20, samp-
les taken from the white wheat while
it was still in the car tested 81 per
! cent moisture. Samples taken from
the red wheat on July 81, while this
wheat was also still in the car, tested
Isl per cent. These wheats were
thoroughly mixed on August and
the mixture was then put into stor-
age in an elevator bin and allowed TO
remain there until August 8, when 1t
was transferred 10 another bin.
Samples taken from the wheat at the
time it was transferred tested II 9 per
cent moisture for the red wheat and
1872 per cent for the white weeat.
The wheat was allowed 10 remain in
the second Din until August IL when
it was transferred to third bin.
Samples taken at this time showed
that the moisture content OF the red
wheat was II per cent and of the
white wheat. II per cent. While the
grain was still in the cars the red
wheat tested higher in moisture by
"a per cent than the white wheat
BY August 6, or three days after The
wheats were mixed, enough of the
moisture from The damp wheat had
been transferred to the dry wheat sc
that the difference in their moisture
content at that time was only seven
t.nths of per cent. BY August 10
or one week after the Whats haC
been mixed, the difference in theil
moisture cont ents had been reduced
to only one-half of per cent.
In order 10 have record of TIT
temperaIure changes in the graiI
during this experiment, four elect
rical thermometers were placed a
different depths in the bin into which
the mixture was run. No appreciat
able change in temperature wa
noticed during the transfer Of TIT
moisture from the red to the whit,
wheat
The mixture of damp and dr.!
wheat will facilitate the handling o
the wet wheat this year. The mile
who buys wet wheat and has som,
dry wheat to mix with it can obvial,
some OF the extra work in handlinI
the damp wheat to keep it in con
dition and also get it in shape TO
milling by mixing the two wheats to
gether for Few days. This will ais,
do away with part of the extra worl
in drying. One car OF wheat can b.
dried down to low moisture conten
? and then mix with another car o
wheat of high moisture conten
and time and labor be saved If thu
: mills or elevators are equipped 81
; that they can mix and dry at tn
, same time, this method will great
increase their capacity for takinj
| care OF large quantities of dam
, wheat Government Bulletin.