The Mellette County pioneer. [volume] (Wood, Mellette County, S.D.) 19??-1971, 1922-12-22
N0XIOUS WEED SEEDS
IN THRASHED WHEAT
One BusheI of Dockage to Every
% Bushels of Grain.
Foreign Material Commonly Found in
Government Investigations Con-
sisted of Wild Oats, Buck
wheat, Mustard, Etc.

prepared by the United states Department
OF Agricultural
Thrashed spring wheat usually con-
tains much foreign material, consist
ing almost entirely Of ~noXious weed
seeds. Investigations conducted by X.
III. Block and G.. II. Halter Of the bu-
reau Of agricultural economics, United
States Department of Agriculture,
show that in the 102O-2l crop there
was approximately one bushel Of for
eign material, or 'dockage," In Every
% bushels of spring wheat thrashed.
This represents over 9,50O,0OO bushels
OF dockage for the spring wheat crop.
More than 200 kinds of weed seeds
are found In spring wheat, but less
than 20 of these appear commonly.
The foreign seeds most commonly
found in the departments investiga-
tons, named in the order of their fire.
quency, were wild oats, wild buck
wheat. cultivated oats, mustard,
lamb's-quarter, barley, green ~foxtail,
hare's-ear mustard, flax, rye, COW
cookie, pigweed, yellow ~foxtail, sun
flower, corn cookie, wild rose, king
head, and wild pea (vetch). Wild
oats appeared in owe 800 per cent OF
the lots Of wheat examined. Grain
inspection statistics show that the per-
centage Of dockage found in spring
wheat is gradually increasing.
Several factors tend to increase the
foreign material in spring wheat, the
more important Of which are the SOW
Ing of wheat on land that is already
foul with weed seeds, and the use of
seed wheat contaminated with weed
seeds. Both Of these practices are
common In the main spring wheat
area.
Foreign material in wheat is Objec-
tionable because it is an economic
waste, says the department. The
growing of weed seeds with the wheat
reduces the yield of wheat and in
creases the cost Of harvesting and
thrashing. Foreign material occupies
valuable space in wagons n freight
cars In country and terminal elevators
and mills, and 1t often has q bad effect
on the milling and baking qualities Of
the wheat. That clean seed combined
with good cultural methods Will pro-
duce clean wheat Is being demonstrate
ed constantly OF many farms, and that
the marketing OF only clean wheat Is
profitable, there can be no doubt. The
farm Is the logical place to clean
wheat, preferably as part Of the
thrashing operation. When the clean
ing Is done on the farm, the cleaned
wheat will bring a better price on the
market, the freight on the dOckage
will be saved, and the screenings will
be available for feed, and when finally
ground can be substituted for the high
or priced feeds, such as oats, corn, and
commercial mill feeds.
Two methods OF cleaning wheat are
commo One method uses sieves and
air blasts for separating the foreign
material from the wheat, and the 9TH
or method separates the grain accord
ing to the size and shape Of the ker-
nels. The former method Is used In
the, general-purpOse cleaning machines.
such as tanning mills and receiving
separators. and the latter method Is
used in machines designed to make
special separations, such as cookie cyl
inders. ring graders, and disk ma
chimes.
Farmers Bulletin, 1887, Foreign Ma
terial in Spring Wheat, just published
by the United States Department of
Agriculture, describes methods Of re-
moving foreign material In spring
wheat on the farm and at the country
elevator. Copies may be obtained from
the department at Washington, ID. c.,
or from any office Of federal grain SUI
pervislon In the field.