Warren sheaf. [volume] (Warren, Marshall County, Minn.) 1880-current, 1920-08-18
METHOD OF WHEAT
DOCK Age EXPLAINED
Important to Wheat Growing Farmers
in Grading under Federal
Standards. -

VI Tie FUNDAMENTAL principles is to de-
termine the numerical grade on a dock
age-free basis. With a few exceptions
the dOckage is first removed from the
sample and the grade determined with
the clean or dOckage- free wheat. Dock
age is the foreign material screened
from ia sample of wheat to be graded,
by the use of appropriate hand sleeves
or other cleaning devices, and consists
OF sand, dirt, weed seeds, weed stems,
chat, straw, grain other than wheat,
and any other foreign material It also
may contain finely broken or small,
shriveled grains of wheat, in cases
where such material can not be sep
arated from dirt and other foreign ma
terial by the use Of appropriate sleeves.
Boeeign Material Determined.
The purpose of the dockage provi-
sion III the Federal wheat standards is
to enable the person grading the sample
to determine the approximate amount
OF easily separated foreign material
that Isl In the lot of wheat Therefore,
dockage is approximately the percent
age Of foreign material which can: be
easily removed from the lot of wheat
tby the commercial types of cleaning
mac inery commonly found in grain
elevators and mills =. -
The dockage test is described in
Farmers Bulletin 1118 entitled .'Dock-
age Under Federal Wheat Grades,y''
which has recently been issued by the
fUnited States Department of Agricul-
ture SO. aid wheat growers and others
in understanding this important feature
Of wheat grading rs provided in the
reVis4d Federal grain standards for
wheat which became effective July 15
l191S.g a.y..z 5... ~ s:-z.s.s 3 zs.
D0ckage Test Described.
The dockage test is made ordinarily
by weighing 1000 grams of wheat
(about 2A pounds), which constitutes
Ia representative sample. Grams are
/ used instead of other units for ease
in determining percentages.
The dOckage is separated from this
|1,OOGgram sample by screening with
pan sieves of specified types or, by us
ingssa cleaning device which has been
f.0Miclas1y approved The dockage :. SC
Iseparateh is weighed and the percent
1age is found, based on the total weight
tof the sample including the dockage
II the amount of dockage is below ]
per cent, it is disregarded. For example
if only one-half of per cent of foreign
material is separated by the means de-
scribed above, no dockage is assessed
This One-half of 1 per cent, however
should not besreturned to the sample
used in determining the grade If IL
per cent of dOckage is separated. / pei
cent OF dOckage~ would be indicated in
assigning the grade. Thus it will be
! seen that any, fraction of a per cent
of dockage: is considered as "toler.
ance" in the standards. .'-. g. ~.
Indicated in Certificate.
! After the dockage is removed the
clean sample is used in determining the
grade, save in few exceptions. Dock
age does not affect the grade assigned
to the wheat If per cent or more
of separable foreign material is found
dOckage is assessed. In the inspection
certificate the amount is indicated i'm
mediately after the grade designat ton
as, for example, No. 1 northern spring
dockage 1 per cent.
If the wheat seed used is carefully
selected, cleaned, tested, and treated
cultivation and crop rotation, and il
the wheat is carefully thrashed ant
cleaned, there should be, ordinarily
very little foreign material presen
when the crop is marketed. The for
eign material in wheat may seriousl,
affect it's value in that it often in
creases the cost of milling and cause
injury to the baking qualities of flour
Thus, the amount Of dockage presen
has direct bearing on the commercial
value Of lot of wheat
Apply to Foreign Material.
J, Two terms in the Federal whea
!, standard apply to foreign material
"dockage" and foreign material othe
than dockage." The former is foreig
material that is separated from tn
sample of wheat by the proper use o
appropriate hand sleeves. Foreign ma
i terial other than dockage' is the fol-
) eign material not separated in til
r screening, and remains in the dockage
!, free sample. Foreign material othe
!, than dockage," on the other hand,
I a factor in the grade and definite pei
centages are permitted in each nun
: erfcal grade. Details regarding th
u grading Of wheat, including the maj
3 ner in which foreign materials othe
: than d0ckage" enter into the calculs
l tiOns, are given In the bulletin Docl
: age under the Federal Wheat Grade.
Ordinary d0ckage can be remove
E from quantities Of wheat with compal
! |atively simple cleaning machinery, sue
as is installed In many grain elevator
1 and mills, or 1t can be removed on til
t farm with an ordinary portable fal
ming mill equipped with a screen ha,
E ing perforations like those specified f.
i the dOckage sleeves.
!, D0ckage found in wheat in man
t cases is Of real value, while in othe
: cases It not only may have no valu
: but may contain ingredients positivel
: harmful IL ground with the whea
4 Dockage frequently contains quantitie
: Of other grains and weed seeds, sue
4 a. mustard, daxseed, oats, or sothe
& cereal grains. Much Of this can h