Cut Bank pioneer press. [volume] (Cut Bank, Mont.) 1909-current, 1917-04-27
BY Alfred Atkinson, Montana Expert.
ment Station.

BY Alfred Atkinson, Montana Experi-
ment Station.
Announcement 22 of the bureau of
markets of the United States depart
ment of agriculture which appeared
March 3Oth gives the federal grade
| standards of the United States for
wheat. AS these standards must be
announced at least 80 days before
they come into full force and effect
they will not apply until July l on
winter wheat and soft white wheat
and August / on other wheats. Since
the law passed by the Montana leg1s-
lature of 1917 provides that the fed
eral grades as announced shall be ac-
cepted as the official grades within
the state, these new wheat grades will
be the basis for grading all grain sold
within the state as we'll as that going
into the interstate or foreign ship
ments.
How Montana Is Affected.
The details of the grades were re-
Gently announced through the pub
lie press and need not be repeated at
this time. There are two provisions,
however, which merit special mention
as applied to Montana wheats. These
are the percentages of wheats OF 9TH
err classes and the percentage OF dam
aged kernels allowed in the different
grades. In each class there are
grades one to five and sample grade.
In the spring wheat class, grade No.
l of the different classes must not
have more than two per cent of
damaged kernels. Grade No. 2 must
have not more than four per cent of
other wheat and four per cen OF
damaged kernels; grade No. 3 MOI
more than six per cent Of wheat and
four per cent of wheat Of other class
es and seven per cent ker-
nels; grade No. 4 not over 10 per cent
of wheat or other classes and 10 pei
cent of wheat of other classes and ten
per cent of damaged kernels; grade
No, 5 not over ten per cent of wheat
or other classes and fifteen per cen
of damaged kernels. Wheat having
amounts greater than these will be
classed as sample grade and sold or
sample.
Use Clean Seed.
These requirements as to mixtures
will result in putting considerable o.
the Montana wheat into sample
grade. The mixture of types which
has been regarded as relatively un
important by growers will esult II
; reducing the grade on much of tn
wheat sold. This will especially ap
! ply with durum or macaroni wheat
While slightly higher percentages Q
| mixture are allowed with this whea
than with the common spring whea'
: the high percentage of mixture !
macaroni wheat as it is general
+ grown will reduce the grade consider
ably. The growing of pure varietie
and the use of only clean seed wi
. be a practical remedy for this diff
Guilty.
+ Frost damage will reduce tn
n grade on a certain amount of whef
q marketed. Even slight frost injur
o may be sufficient to lower the grad
or two. 1t will be noted that eve
in grade No. 4 in spring wheat ne
more than ten per cent of kerne.
showing damage of any sort wha
ever will be permitted. Under tn
is included frost damage, injur
from heating or molding, sproute
d grains. weevil injury and injury
l. whatever other form. Early plan
n ing Of spring wheat, especially in Il
calities where the season is relativ'
ly short, and the harvesting an
threshing separately of wheat fro.
l. the low places in the field whel
l. there may have been frost injul
h tend to avoid serious grade redu
tions through the presence of dan
aged kernels.