AMERICAN EXPORT CORN ( MAIZE ) IN EUROPE. 21 



germ of the grain be alive, germination will take place regardless of 

 the time, the place, or the season of the year. 



There can be no doubt that the same conditions of temperature and 

 moisture that favor germination or the active growth of the germ of 

 the grain are favorable also to the growth of molds and bacteria, as 

 well as the production and action of certain ferments which have the 

 power of changing the composition of the grain kernels, and which in 

 their action produce heat sufficient to cause the heating of the grain. 



There is too little known of the great subject of fermentation in 

 nature to enable more to be said than that some kind of fermentation 

 does frequently take place in bulk grain and that this is the principal 

 danger to wliich damp grain in storage or in transit is exposed. 



SHIPMENTS OF " WINTER-SHELLED " CORN. 



In the Northern Hemisphere during the spring months the proper 

 combination of the elements favorable to the production and action 

 of ferments is more hkely to exist than during the other seasons of 

 the year. The fact that the corn shipped for export during the early 

 spring months of the past several years has been mostly "winter- 

 shelled" corn, which still retained a relatively large percentage of its 

 moisture and in which fermentation had frec^uently begun before 

 shipment, and the further fact that much damage has been sustained 

 through the shipment of such corn is what undoubtedly originated 

 and what has perpetuated the idea of a "germinating season." 



Corn in which fermentation has begun need not necessarily be hot 

 or even perceptibly heating, but the action is usually indicated by a 

 pecuhar faintly sour odor present. The presence of this odor should 

 serve as a warning to the shipper or handler of corn, because corn in 

 which the odor is present soon becomes hot if not frequenth" and 

 thoroughly ventilated, more especially if its moisture content is high. 



THE IMPORTANCE OF MOISTURE CONTENT IN CORN IN OCEAN TRANSIT. 



These investigations have led to the conclusion, which is beheved 

 to have been clearly demonstrated in the tables and diagrams, 

 that the moisture content of corn, and of other grains as well, is the 

 primary factor determming their capacity to carry safely in ocean 

 transit without deterioration, and the importance of this factor has 

 been emphasized throughout the work. Corn in which the moisture 

 content is sufficiently low will carr}^ safely under ordinary conditions 

 of ocean transit for any reasonable length of time during any season 

 of the year, no matter where it is stowed in the vessel, while corn con- 

 taining a high moisture content is constantly in danger of heating at 

 any time ow:mg to a variety of contributing causes. 



It has been shown that although somewhat drier corn was shipped 

 to Europe during the spring months, its moisture content was still not 



[Cir. 55] 



