The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1924-10-18
GRAIN CAN BE
SAVE,DECLARES
EXPERT OF A C.
Natural Qualities May be Re-
tanned, Says Miller of Az.
ricultural College
VENTILATION
PLANS

Fargo, N. d., Oct. lS.-Wheat and
other grain that has been threshed
while tough and wet either because
of improper curing or too much
moisture from dew and rains, can
- still be saved and its natural quail
ties retained, declares r. C. Miller.
agricultural engineer at the North
Dakota Agricultural college.
"A simple vcntlator placed in a
grain bin successfully stores wet
grain" says Mr.. Miller "Any farm
er can make and install the ventila-
tor at a cost of material that will
not exceed one cent a bushel storage
capacity"
The ventilatOrs necessary for 1000
bushel bins can be built and install
ed by two men in day, he says.
Seed grain that would be ruined if
it heats or moulds could be placed
in a ventilated bin and cared for
with the ventilator system and she'll
ed corn that heats when placed in
an ordinary bin could be saved by
the use of ventilators.
Farmers that have already
threshed their grain and now find
that 1T is heating and moulding
could fix a bin with ventilators and
transfer the grain to it," Mr.. Miller
advises. "If they have not yet
threshed, the bins could be fixed
now and the wet grain placed in
them.
Cure Damp Wheat
at may even be- better to cure
the damp wheat in the ventilated
bin than to leave it in the shock
to cure. 1t may sprout and be ruin
ed in the shock if damp weather
keeps up.
The system of ventilation has been
found successful. Mr.. M I'LL er
cites the following test results.
700 bushels of tough wheat direct
from the combine having IS per
cent moisture were stored in bin
Is feet long by 10 feet wide in
which ventilators had been placed.
y. From July ~ to September % the
moisture content was reduced from
IS per cent to l4.3 per cent. Wheat
was of normal temperature and nat
ural color.
Another lot of same kind of wheat
placed in bin without ventilators
did not keep in condition. These
are results Of actual experiments
conducted by the U. S. Department
of Agriculture. Ordinarily wheat
with 10 per cent moisture will heat
and become musty in tight bin
such as the average North Dakota
farmer has.
Ventilators are placed across the
bin and are spaced ; feet apart. The
y first tier of ventiators is plased
two inches above the floor. The
next tier is put 3 feet above this
one. A bin 6 to 10 feet deep would
have three tiers of ventilators 3
feet apart.
"Any farmer can easily make his
own ventlator," says Mr.. Miller.
1.-TWO pieces Of 1X4 set on edge with
outer faces 6 inches apart are nail
ed into position with 6 inch long
cleats. These cleats are spaced II
inches apart on top side and two
feet apart on bottom side. The top
cleats are mortised into sides to
give even top edge. Wire screen
is nailed or top side of ventiator.
Fasten Screen
" "The screen should be fastened
to frame with screen moulding. The
bottom side of ventilator is left
open. A rapid and easy method of
fastening the screen is to place !
fur 6-inch wide ventilators side by !
side with top side up. Twenty-four
inch wide screen can then be tackled |
over all four and fastened securely |
to each. The screen between ven
tilators can then be cut with Il /
knife.
"Holes tho size Of flue openings !
are cut into the sides of bin. One
inch by two-inch cleats are nailed |
around the hole in the inside along |
bottom and sides to hold the ventila-
tor in place The ventilator can be !
removed by lifting it up. Flucs near
an outside wooden wall are usually |
placed in about two and a half feet.
The wall will dry out about a foot
Of grain and the flues one and one
half feet to each side. Flues in diff
fcrent tiers could be staggered.
Estimated Cost
"The following is an estimate of
cost for vcntilators for 1000 bu-
shell bin. Assume the bin 10 feet
wide, feet high, and IA feet long.
This size bin would require three
tiers of ventiators. This would re-
quire the following materials:
20 pieces 1x10 pine CT BID.
feet at SC ........ $3.50
I 1872 lineal feet 1X2 22bd. feet
at DC ................ 1.1O
12O lineal feet Xxi moulding
10 BID. feet at sc ...... 80
81 So. #. galvanized wire
\. screen 24-inches wide at
OC .....'. OLE
5 lbs. Sd nails, 3 lbs. Cd nails
at 6 per pound ......- .4s
Total cost of material ........ $3.50
"This is a cost of less than one
cent a bushel for material. The la
Dor would be about one days work
for a good workman to make and
install. These ventilators would be
good for a number of years. The
outside opening should have screen
over it.
"Any opening exposed to weather