The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1919-03-28
FACTORS INFLUENCING THE
GRADING Of THE WHEAT
RoLlN E. SMITH. FEDERAL GRAIN SUPERVISOR


Washington, D. G., March 25.-Ana-
lysis of $50 samples of hard red
spring wheat by the office of federal
grain supervision at Minneapolis,
extending over period from July
Is, 1913. the date the revised federal
grades became effective, to January
6. 1919. throw an interesting light on
the effect the chief factors consid
cred in determining the grades have
toward lowering the grades.
The results of the analyses are
shown in the following table, giving
the percentage of care that fell into
the No. /, No. 2, and the lower grades
under The several tests:
Nd. 1.No. 2 Low
Per cent.
Moisture test ..... 1872 7.3 rs
Test weight per bu... 1872 1912 SC
Damaged kernels -. 1875 20.3 II
Foreign material
other than dockage 500 14.1 SO
Foreign material
other than cereal
grain -. S4.4 ILL., 3.s
Cereal grains ...... 92.1 sos 2.3
Wheat of other
classes ..s.... 95.3 1.3 ga
In occasional seasons when the
crop is damaged over large area.
as it sometimes is, by rust or hot
winds when the wheat is in the soft
dough stage, the/ test weight per
bushel is the chief factor in de-
termining the grade. Yet all the
other factors mentioned may be
contributing influences" they arc. In
fact, every season, and their effect
is more constant, or less variable,
than the test weight, and perhaps
the moisture test
The spring wheat crop of the har-
vest of 1918 may fairly be- called an,
average one in quality and con-
! dition, therefore the grade deter
mining factors mentioned above, as
to their Importance in lowering the
grade, should be of particular inter-
est, because of their operation under
the comparatively new fe.eral grades
for wheat, A report on the grading
and analysis of several hundred
samples of Hard Red spring wheat
by the office of federal Grain super
vision at Minneapolis gives the first
opportunity for such observation and
comparison available up to the
present time.
Moisture Test-Hard Red spring
wheat containing IA per cent or less
of moisture falls in the No. / grade,
1 70. he rhclo
alone. OF the samples tested 44.5.
per cent contained, Is per cent or
less, while 40.7 per cent contained
1874 to IA per cent. Therefore S5.2
lper cent of the samples graded NO.
on this test Seven ana three
tenths per cent graded No. 2, on q:
moisture content of al to s145 per.
cent; 4.3 per cent No. 3, on. mois-
ture content of TAG to Is per cent.
The remaining $40 per cent OF the
samples tested dropped into No. 4
or lower because of a moisture con.
tent>of is per cent or greater.
Test Weight per Bushel-On this
grade requirement, 712 per cent of
| the samples showed test weight
per measured bushel of 80 and one
| half pounds, while Is per cent tested
So to So and one fourth pounds; or
S6.2 per cent tested So pounds or
better. AS the grade requirement for
No of the three subclasses of Hard
! Red spring wheat is that it shall
have a test weight of at least 5S
pounds" it appears that S6.2 per
cent of the several hundred samples
| tested graded No.> /. Therefore only
1873 per cent fell below that grade
| because of the test weight per
bushel. And as the taking OF the
samples, was distributed throughout
the period in which the bulk Of the
crop moves, it may safely be assum
ed that the samples> were repre-
sentative of the entire spring wheat
crop of Minnesota ard the Dakotas.
The 1873 per cent of the samples
| that tested below 5S pounds\ fell into
the lower grades as Follows: No. 2,
1912 per cent; No. 3, 8 per cent; No.
and lower, ore per cent.
Damaged Kernels-The percentage
| by weight of the total of damaged
kernels found in the samples noted
below was factor in influencing the
grade as follows (the No / grade of
the subclass of Hard Red spring
wheat may contain. not more than
| 2 per cent of damaged kernels
Free from damaged kernels, "a
per cent of the samples. Containing
0.5 per cent or less of damaged
kernels, 1915 per cent of the samples.
Containing from 0.6 to per cent of
damaged kernels, 20 per cent. of the
samples. Containing from IL to 2
per cent of damaged kernels, 20.7
per cent of the samples.
saUhis gives<a total of 1875 per cent
of the samples analysed that graded
No 1, while PA per cent fell into