526 ANNUAL REPORTS OF DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



(3) Number and percentage of appeals not sustained — all grains combined and 

 for each grain separately : 



Number. I Per cent- 



■ 1 - 



All grains 



Corn 



Wheat 



Oats 



(4) Number of board appeals called — all grains combined and each grain 

 separately : 



Corn 69 



Wheat 675 



Oats 37 



Total all grains '781 



(5) The fees for the 20,718 appeals which were not sustained amounted to 

 $54,038.89. No charges are made for the sustained appeals. 



The steady increase in the volume of work to be performed made 

 some curtailment of the service necessary. In order to avoid break- 

 ing down the efficient organization which had been perfected, it was 

 decided to contract by closing a number of field offices. Plans to 

 close four offices were under way at the end of the year, although 

 decided protests against such action were made by trade organizations 

 and individuals in the markets affected. 



Minor changes in the standards for corn and wheat became effective 

 during the year. In the corn standards the factor foreign material 

 and cracked corn is to be determined by the use of a sieve having 

 perforations twelve sixty-fourths inch instead of fourteen sixty- 

 fourths inch in diameter. 



In the wheat standards, the factor " bright " was eliminated from 

 the No. 1 grade of all classes of wheat. 



Because of requests received from certain interests in the central 

 northwest for changes in the Federal grades, a thorough investigation 

 was made of the standards for hard red spring and durum wheat, 

 especially of their application at country marketing points. After 

 much study it was decided that the results sought to be accomplished 

 could be attained by certain changes in the rules covering inspections 

 performed by licensed inspectors. Accordingly amendments to the 

 regulations of the grain standards act were prepared and promul- 

 gated, to become effective during the next crop movement. In order 

 that the Federal grades might be better understood, an extensive 

 " Know your own wheat " campaign has been conducted in coopera- 

 tion with the extension directors and other agencies in the States of 

 Minnesota, North Dakota, and South Dakota. A price-reporting 

 system designed to furnish producers and country shippers with 

 comprehensive information regarding market conditions and prices 

 at terminals was also inaugurated at Minneapolis for the purpose of 

 rendering further assistance to the wheat interests in that section. 



Meetings and conferences were held also in the Pacific North- 

 west with producers, dealers, and State officials regarding changes 

 recommended in the grades for white wheats grown in that section, 

 with the result that the standards were amended to combine the 



* Eight by Pacific coast board (seven wheat and one oats). 



