EXPERIMEXT STATIOX BULLETINS 281 



oats, 29.1 per cent. As the temperature of the interior of that state in summer 

 is aijout 83 degrees F., experiments were made with dry grain at that temperature; 

 and as the temperature increased, the amount of moisture thus lost in the given 

 time also increased. Wheat dried in an artifically prepared atmosphere, believed 

 to be aliout as dry at that which naturally occurs at harvest 'in the interior valleys 

 of the state, led to the belief that the wheat cured there in the field at harvest time 

 becomes nearly as dry as it would in an absolutely dry air. and, 'on transporting to a 

 temperate climate may possibly increase 25 per cent, while a gain of 5 to 15 per 

 cent maj' be looked for with almost absolute certaintj'.' The profit of this gain in 

 weight accrues to whoever ownis the grain when the absorption is going on." 



Prof. W. H. Brewer began in March, 1880, a series of experiments to test the relation 

 of wheat to the moisture of the air, putting samples of the grain in paper boxes and 

 weighing from time to time. The boxes were but partly filled and were kept in a 

 basket suspended from the ceiling in his office, where the air in the room freely cir- 

 culated about them. The Avindows were kept open during the summer and until the 

 building was heated in the fall. The office was located in New Haven, Connecticut, a 

 seaport tcwn. where the air was comparatively moist. 



From ^March to September of 1880 all of the specimens gained in weight, some of 

 them nearly six per cent ; others less, according to the way they had been kept the 

 pr^'ious winter. When weighed again in February, 1881, the wheat had shrunk to its 

 original weight. Weighed again in September, 1881, it gained between seven and 

 eight per cent over the weight in February. 



In the report of the New York Experiment Station (Geneva) for 1884, page 79, is 

 given the results of a laboratory experiment to test this question of the shrinkage of 

 wheat in storage. "In the following experiment the grain was put into netting bags 

 and suspended from the ceiling in the laboratory. Clauson wheat, harvested July 16, 

 threshed out July 18, four bags containing 1.000 grams and two bags containing 

 500 grams each: 



Per cent of Per cent 



Total weight — Grams. loss by drying. water in grain, 



July 18 5,000 27.02 



Julv 27 4. .310.4 1.3.8 13.22 



August 3 4,133.5 17.33 9.69 



August 10 4,070.7 18.59 8.43 



August 24 3,969.2 20.62 6.40 



August 31 4,001.5 19.97 7.05 



September 14 3,983.8 20.33 6.69 



September 21 3.980.8 20.39 ' 6.63 



September 28 4,023,2 19.54 7.48 



October 5 4,051.8 18.97 8.03 



October 12 4,026.3 19.48 7.54 



November 22 3,796.9 24.06 



A second series, four bags of 1,000 grams each, taken frorii bins September 4, 

 weighed : 



Total weight- 

 September 4 4,000 .... 



September 14 3^888.0 2.77 



September 21 3,875 3.12 



September 28 3,913.9 2.15 



October 5 3,937.1 1.57 



October 12 3.912.7 2.18 



November 22 3,675 8.12 



Between October 12 and November 22 the laboratory in which the samples were kept 

 was warmed in usual manner of a dwelling room, by steam heat. 



The wheat in the first table, harvested July 16, and hand threshed July 18, con- 

 tained 27.02 per cent of water by analysis, and hence we have for the water content 

 of the wheat at the various weighings the dillercnce between the per cent of loss and 

 27.22 per cent, whereby we see that the lowest water content exposed to the natural 

 air of the room was August 24, when it dried to about 6.4 per cent, and on November 

 22, in a steam heated room, it was about 2.96 per cent. 



36 



