14 THE COMMEKCIAL GRADING OF CORN. 



definitely in mind the .supposed grade requirements, is often tempted 

 to let a poor car into a grade if he knows there are some very good 

 cars of that grade going in with it to even matters up. This, of 

 course, works an injustice to the original shippers of the good cars, 

 since the purchaser of the mixed lot can pay no more than the mixture 

 is worth. 



GRADE UNIFORMITY. 



Our interstate or intermarket trade, as well as our foreign trade, 

 urgently demands a system of grading which shall be uniform through- 

 out the country, or at least for those markets handling the same kinds 

 of grain. In fact, uniformity is at present of more commercial 

 importance than any other one thing connected with grain inspection. 

 This much-desired uniformity can not be attained until there is in use 

 -some definite understanding as to what essential qualities shall be con- 

 sidered in the grading of grain, and some definite rules adopted for 

 measuring these qualities. 



It is the purpose of this publication, in discussing the commercial 

 grading of corn, to show what some of these essential elements are, 

 something of their relative importance, how they may be measured 

 simply, accurately, and speedily, and how the results may be stated 

 in a way to show exact conditions. These results are expressed in 

 figures, and the promulgation of satisfactory grade limitations is all 

 that remains to secure uniform work, so far as the elements measured 

 are concerned. 



The late Mr. S. H. Stevens, the veteran flax inspector of the Chicago 

 Board of Trade, developed such a method for his work, which is prob- 

 ably at the present time the most nearly satisfactory system of com- 

 mercial grain inspection in existence. 



In a report to the Chicago Board of Trade, under date of September 

 1, 1900, Mr. Stevens published the grade standards for flax adopted 

 by the Board of Trade a year previous, with the statements that during 

 the year of the operation of the definite rules "no suggestion of weak- 

 ness or desired change has reached this office from any source,'" and 

 "the flaxseed inspection committee, although in close touch with the 

 department, has not been officially called for the correction of error 

 during the vear." 



Following is the rule for the grade of No. 1 Northwestern flaxseed 

 published by Mr. Stevens September 1, 1900: 



No. 1 Northwestern flaxseed. — Flaxseed to grade Number One Northwestern shall 

 be mature, sound, dry, and sweet. It shall be northern grown or have the usual 

 characteristics thereof. The maximum quantity of field, stack, storage, or other damaged 

 seed intermixed shall not exceed twelve ami one-half per cent. The minimum weight 

 shall be fifty-one (51) pounds to the measured bushel. a 



a The italics in the above rule do not occur in the original. 



