The Mellette County pioneer. [volume] (Wood, Mellette County, S.D.) 19??-1971, 1920-05-28

aa"n' opening the holes, and allowing the grain
'e pipe from various parts of the car. BY
.Aahihiilg the grain extracted at the different open
lhgs IN the "trier," the sampler Is enabled to de-
termine whether or not the grain in the car Is of
one quality. or if the car has been "n,uogad, or
improperly loaded.
hheSe samples are carried to the offices OF the
s.ate grain inspection department and the grain
therein is inspected and graded by expert graders.
Ihls work Is accomplished by the aid of instru-
ments. principally for weighing and screening, and
IN the case of corn for determining moisture con-
tent.
"A grain inspector must possess good eyesight,
a keen sense OF smell and a very acute sense of
touch. Those qualities are of vital Importance.
especially in the inspection and grading Of wheat.
The inspectors are all men of practical experience
in the grain business, who have passed rigid civil
service examinations under the supervision Of the
Illinois State Civil Service commission. These
men stand before large tables on which the sam
pie bags are placed. The inspectors open the bags
and pour the grain into pans especially made to
receive the contents of the bags. These pans are
provided with funnel-shaped ends so that the
grain may be easily poured into the weighing
buckets and quickly returned to the bags after
passing inspection.
The scales used in weighing are of the balance
type. The grain is poured from the testing pan
into a brass bucket attached to the scales. This
bucket holds an even quart of grain when it has
Deen IeNeltu III. Lie TeuulUS UdE Oh the scales
has arbitrary figures showing what the grain will
weigh q measured bushel. The inspectors must
ascertain the weight of a measured bushel of each
lot of grain inspected by them and report the same
in their records.
After the grain is weighed it is carefully ex.
amined to determine its grade, and the inspector
marks on a card with n printed form the grade.
number and kind Of grain with ~nOtations and
weights. This card Is enclosed In the bag with
the grain, and the clerical force makes q record
Of the car number, initial, kind of grain and grade.
with inspectors remarks, If any. the name Of the
receiving commission house, the number of samples
drawn from the car, and the initials of the deputy
inspector who nominated the grade. These rec
ords are kept on file, and If a shipper at any time
requires an inspection certificate 1T Is issued upon
request. The clerical department issues two GER
tifcates on every car inspected, which go to the
receiver Of the grain in Chicago, and he, In turn
sends one TO the shipper and one to the buyer OF
the grain. These certificates are issued on the
day Of inspection for the convenience of the trade
in general.
Half of the actual sample of grain inspected Is
retained I'm the Offices of the inspection department
for twenty-four hours, In case the other half OF
the sample is lost of reinspectiOn Is called for.
and half is placed in a paper bag and sent to the
grain commission merchant TO whom the grain Is
consigned. The commission mar uses this for
his selling sample on the exchange floor OF the
Cb,cag go Board of Trade. II more than one sample
ne a car is drawn, notation Of the number Of
samples taken Is written on the outside Of the
bag to show the buyer that the grain is not of
uniform quality in all parts Of the car. The state
law provides that all cash grain sold on the Board
Of Trade shall pass inspection by the Illinois
state Grain Inspection department. The charge
for inspection is 80 cents a carload. Grain cannot
be reinspected after 1t has been unloaded and its
identity lost.
In addition to the tests given other grains. corr
is put through the moisture tester. This method
was not universally employed until In recent years,