SULPHUR BLEACHING OF COMMERCIAL OATS AND BARLEY. 7 



A comparison of tlio Q-rados of oats V)ofore and after ])leacliing- is 

 shown in tigure 2. 



CHANGE IN MOISTURE CONTENT AND WEIGHT TER BUSHKL. 



Samples of oats before and after bleaching were collected at various 

 places throughout the oat-producing sections. The samples before 

 bleaching were taken ^ s^^se-^es 



as the grain was being 

 elevated to the bleach- 

 ing tower and the sam- 

 pies after bleaching 

 were obtained as the 

 grain was being con- 

 veyed back to the 

 storehouse or elevator 

 bin. 



The moisture con- 

 tent of every sample 

 was found to be higher 

 after bleaching. The detail of samples is shown in tigure 3 and the 

 statement of percentages is given in Table I. 



Table I. — Moisture content and vxight per measured hmhel of samples of oats before and 



after bleacldng. 



Fig. 2.— Diagram comparing tlie grades of oats before and 

 after bleaching. 



The average increase in moisture, due to the bleaching, without 

 deducting the loss due to evaporation in handling between the bleacher, 

 the elevator, and the car (0.50 of 1 per cent), was 1.79 per cent. The 

 relative increase in moisture was not constant, the variations being 

 due largely to different methods of operating the various bleachers as 

 well as to the quality and condition of the grain l)efore bleaching. 



In this connection it must be borne in mind that within certain 

 limits an increase in moisture content results in a decrease of the 

 weight per measured bushel. In the samples used in these investiga- 

 tions the average decrease in weight per bushel was 1.34 pounds as 

 compared with an average increase in moisture content of 1.79 per 

 cent. The ditierence in individual samples is graphically shown in 



ICir. 74] 



