The Rathdrum tribune. (Rathdrum, Idaho) 1903-1963, 1923-04-06
N0XIOUS WEED SEEDS
IN THRASHED WHEAT
One BusheI of Dockage to Every
q 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 Agriculture.)
Thrashed spring wheat usually con-
tains much foreign material, consist
ing almost entirely Of noxious weed
seeds. Investigations conducted by r.
III. Block and G. r. Halter of the bu-
, reau Of agricultural economics, United
States Department of Agriculture,
show that in the 192021 crop there
was approximately one bushel Of for
eign material, or "dockage," in every
% bushels Of spring wheat thrashed.
This represents over 100000 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-
lions, 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 over 900 per cent of
the lots Of wheat examined. Grain
inspection statistics show that the per-
eentage 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 i
common in the main spring wheat
area
Foreign material In wheat Is objec-
Lionable because 1t Is an economic
waste, says the department The
growing of weed seeds with the wheat
educes the yield Of wheat and in
,reases the cost of harvesting and
Foreign material occupies
aluable space in wagons and freight
ars In country and terminal elevators
nd mills, and it often has bad effect
n the milling and baking qualities Of
he wheat That clean seed combined
18th good cultural methods will pro-
uce clean wheat is being demonstrate
d constantly on many farms. and that
le marketing of only clean wheat is
rof1table, there can be no doubt. The
arm Is the logical place to clean
heat, preferably as part of the
operation. When the clean
g is done on the farm, the cleaned
heat will bring better price on the ,
arket, the freight on the dockage
Ill be saved, and the screenings will ,
. available for feed, and when finally +
ound can be substituted for the high :
priced feeds, such as oats, corn, and r
mill feeds. G
Two methods Of cleaning wheat are
mmon. One method uses sleeves and ,
blasts for separating the foreign
lterial from the wheat, and the 9TH
method separates the grain accord
: to the size and shape of the kerr
Is. The former method is used In
: genel9l-purpOse cleaning machines,
CHI as tanning mills and receiving
)aratOrs, and the latter method is is
ed In machines designed to make tf
ecial separations, such as cookie CYL 81
lers. ring graders, and disk ms Sc
mes.
Farmers Bulletin. 1887, Foreign Ma ~
ial in Spring Wheat. just published =,
the United States Department of o.
riculture, describes methods Of re- ~
wing foreign material in spring
eat on the farm and at the country
vator. Copies may be obtained from ., %
department at Washington. d. c., =.
from any Office of federal grain su- 40
vision in the field. sa