The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1920-09-21
D0GkAGE ABUSE
HURTsEARMERs:
Hh
Bumper Wheat Crop Ne
cessitates Understand
ing of Grading.
BY B. r. SHEEHAN
State Grain Inspector.

0SoSS SS0AsA AAAoRSSSONs
Reports recently issued by the Bu-
rean Of Crop Estimates indicate that
Idaho farmers are going to market
one Of the largest wheat crops in the
history of the state. Wheat is the
average farmers big cash crop. To
secure satisfactory returns it is neces-
sary that the farmer have some
knowledge of the marketing require
meats when he takes his grain to the
elevator or mill to have it graded and
to receive his check for the same. He
shodld have a good knowledge of the
grading system now being employed
in this state. He must know how .
grade should. be applied-what dock
age 4, and how it is determined and
he should know when the dealer is
using equipment necessary to arrive
propcrly at = grade.
One of the most common misunder-
standings between the farmer and the
grainv buyer is dockage-what consti-
tutese dockage. how it is determined,
and what equipment should be used
to accurately determine dockage.
According to the federal wheat
STANDARDS which have been approved
recently in this state, dockage in
cludss such material a. sand. dirt.
weed seeds, stems, chaff, straw, white
caps, grain other than wheat and any
other foreign material which can be
repoved readily from the wheat by
tho use of appropriate sleeves.
Some buyers have included the
cracked and shriyeled wheat with the |
doetage. This has been due in many |
cases to the fact that many of them
have not been equipped with the hand |
sleeves necessary for the removal of
the cracked and shriveled grain from
thezdockage. Farmers should remem-
Der that cracked and shriveled grain |
is not dockage; it is wheat and should |
be Chased As such. If the fine seed
screen sieve is not used in the "oat |
kicker" oftentimes considerable |
cracked and shriveled grain will 60 |
through and be present in the pan
with the weed seeds and other for
eign material. When such IS the case
this material should be reclaimed by
use of the hand sleeves and returned |
to the good wheat Only the .very1
finest material that goes through the |
reclaiming sieve should be considered
as Aockage.
The chief cause for nonuniform re-
sults being secured by the dealers
when grading grain is that the equip
meiit necessary to arrive accurately
At The grade has not nevery case
been used. To get an accurate grade
and an accurate determination of
doekage it is imperative that reguia-
tion equipment be used.
m speaking before the seed con-
weston last January, George R. Hys-
lop of Oregon said: Every grain
bu3ef should have the equipment to
gra4e grain accurately. He should
hav.a sampling probe, an oat kicker,
= ~ of dockaae sleeves, standard
weight per bushel tester and an ac-
cusste balance, of scales for the de-
terlnination of dockage. I wouldn't
self my grain, If had any quantity.
to sas dealer who didn't equip himself
to 10 good grading. Why MOTH Be-
cause he must either grade or guess.
If hs euesses high, he goes broke. If
he kuesses to protect himself. he
guesses low and you lose. Insist on
acd4fate accurate grades--accurate de-
TERMINATION of dockage made with
STANDARD equipemnt.
II making the dockage determine
ton; representative sample of the
grain to be. tested 10 secured. This
sample should be weighed out on .
finely balanced scale usually 1000
grams is used). Weighing the grain
out In the test kettle" running Il
through the Kicker and then weigh
ing back the dockage or the grain
in NE kettle and figuring the dockage
pereFntage from the graduation on
the :'beam" requires too much suess
work and has been found to be inac-
curste. vsit fG.jS
After the 1000 gram sample has
been, secured for test, il 10 then run
through the oat kicker. All Of the
dirt, sand. eticks. white caps, weed
seeda etc, that are removed should
be i considered ~ dockase. Any
eracted or shriveled grain that may
be present in this material should be
renoved by the use of the hand sleeves
and returned to. the cleaned wheat.
The remaining material is dockage.
This material Is placed on the finely
balanced scale and the weight de-