The Dolores star., 1918-10-25
Tests Are Applied From Country
Elevators to Holds of Trans
atlantic Liners.
BEST WHEAT GIVEN PREMIUM
Department of Agriculture Has Made
Study Of Marketing and Grading
Practices-War Necessitated
Some Changes.

From country elevators to the hold
of a transatlantic liner wheat and
corn destined for the army and the al
lies and almost all of that arriving at
mills and terminal markets is handled
on grades fixed and applied under
federal supervision. The inspection of
wheat and shelled corn is under the
direction of the United States depart
ment of agriculture, with licensed in
spectors located at small markets, ter
minals or at the seaboard and the
standards in use are the same at all in
spection points. Before federal grades
were in effect there was little uni
formity in grain standards at the diff
ferent markets such as now exists
throughout the United States.
In the past grain was often graded
at country points on the basis of an
average for the crop which placed the
best grain in lower grades than it de-
served. Now a grower of the best
wheat receives premium, even under
fixed prices, for his extra care in pro-
ducing it. Thus federal standards pro-
vide premium grades for grain of su-
perior quality.
How Grades Were Made.
Before the passage of the United
States grain standards act complaints
were received from foreign buyers and
buyers of grain located outside the
grain-prOducing sections of the United
States, stating that grain purchased
frequently did not conform to the
grade specifications for which their
contracts called. For over ten years
the department Of agriculture has
made n study of grain marketing and
grain grading practices throughout
the United States and in foreign trade,
obtained samples of many shipments,
and devised apparatus for the me-
chanical determination of grading fac
tors. Before the official grain stand
ards were adopted they We're submitted
to representatives of producers and to
the grain trade for suggestions and
criticisms, and the standards were de-
cided upon after all phases of market
Ing were considered so that no single
interest would be favored at the ex-
pense of any other interest.
Grades Revised for Wheat.
| Because of the abnormal conditions
in the grain trade, due to the war and
the resulting fixed prices for wheat,
certain changes in wheat grades were
| suggested. A series of five hearings
were held during March of this year
to receive suggestions from interested
| persons on the proposed revision of
the official standards for wheat. Out
of these hearings and the practical
experience in supervising the applica-
| ton of the standards the grades were
revised to have effect July IS, 1918.
The changes were all In the nature of
percentage of grains other than wheat
increase In the amount of foreign
material present within each grade
and minor changes in definitions of
classes and grades. Increased percent
ages of moisture We're allowed in sew
.rnl grades, reduction in test weight
| per bushel was made In some in.
stances. and more damaged and heat
damaged kernels allowed in some
| grades.
How Grades Are Applied.
The bureau of markets of the de-
partment Of agriculture now main
tains 35 local offices at the PRINCIPAL
grain markets to supervise the grad