The Kevin review. [volume] (Kevin, Mont.) 1922-1929, 1923-04-19
GRAIN INSPECTION
AID TO FARMERS
NEARLY 1000 SAMPLES HAVE
BEEN TESTED SINCE LABOR
ATORY WAS ESTABLISHED
When There Is An Argument Over
Grading Farmer and Buyer Send
Sample in for Testing; Small Fee
for Grading.

The state of Montana maintains il
Bozeman a department that should
be familiar to every farmer and seed
buyer of the state, says r. A. Bow.
den, college publicity director. This
department, called the Montana grain
inspection laboratory, is created to
establish official grades on grain as
one of it's principal duties. That the
farmers and dealers of Montana have
found it of high value is shown in
the report of the laboratory that
since it's recent creation "3,462 sam
pies of grain have been tested for
official grade and dockage." An in
spector licensed under the federal
grain standards act is stationed at
the laboratory.
County buyers and county agents,
as well as farmers in all parts of the
state, have sent in samples upon
which there was some argument
about grade. In the last two years
there has been a marked tendency ON
the part of country buyers to buy
subject to grain inspection certifi-
Gates issued by this laboratory. 1t
is now common practice for dealers
and producers, who are shipping
grain out of the state, to have cars
sampled by an official of the labor
atory and the grade established by
the inspector. This gives the shipper
a basis upon which to sell his grain in
case it goes to an interior mill where
there is nc federal inspection. If
the grade at a terminal is not salts
factory it gives basis for the demand
for federal re-inspection.
This state grain laboratory at
Bozeman is equipped to handle it's
tests and Investigations in the most
scientific and thorough manner. Sat-
isfaction has been generally express
ed by producers and dealers who have
made use of the state laboratory. I'm
der the management of Superintend-
emit w. o. Whitcomb the work has
been put on a standard basis that
leaves no ground for debate over it's
findings.
termination and purity tests also
are carried or at the laboratory for
dealers and producers of the state.
More and more the purchaser of seed
is insisting upon some certificate as
to termination and purity. Danger
of noxious weed seeds, and the pos
sibility of purchasing seed that ger
inmates only a small comparative
percentage, are causing farmers and
seedsmen to demand that official
tests be made on large purchases.
Leading seed dealers over the state
now are printing the termination and
purity tests on each bag of seed Of
fered for sale. Under such a %certifi-
cate the purchaser takes little or no
chance of los. 1t is a growing proof
of the old adage that good seed at
a higher price is much cheaper than
cheap seed at a low price"
The seed laboratory is under the
general supervision of the agronomy
department of the Montana expert
ment station. Il
".This service of the laboratory at
Bozeman is three-fold," says Profess
sor Clyde Mckee, agronomist at Mon
tana state college. 1.-THE work of the
laboratory includes termination and
purity tests, establishment of true
grades of grain and the study of mill
ing and baking qualities of wheats.