GRADE UNIFORMITY. 15 



In this connection it is interesting to look at the rules in force under 

 the Minnesota system of grain inspection just before and just after the 

 publication of Mr. Stevens's report. 



From Minnesota Grades, August 22, 1900: 



No. 1 Northwestern flaxseed. — Flaxseed that is choice or prime, as also the same 

 moderately intermixed with field damaged seed, dry, sweet, and free from mustiness, and 

 having weight of not less than fifty pounds to the measured bushel of commercially 

 pure seed, shall be No. 1 Northwestern flaxseed. « 



From Minnesota Grades, August 31, 1901: 



No. 1 Northwestern, flaxseed.— Flaxseed to grade No. 1 Northwestern shall be ma- 

 ture, sound, dry, and sweet. It shall be northern grown. The maximum quantity of 

 field, stack, storage, or other damaged seeil intermixed shall not exceed twelve and one-half 

 (12^) per cent. The minimum weight shall be fifty-one (51) pounds to the measured 

 bushel of commercially pure seed. a 



The investigations which have been made by the Department of 

 Agriculture during the year past give good reason for believing that 

 what has been found possible in flax is also possible for the cereal 

 grains — corn, wheat, oats, barley, and rye. 



It must be distinctly understood that the methods here outlined are 

 not intended to be applied to every car or cargo of grain inspected. 

 The rapidity with whicb the grain business is conducted makes it im- 

 practicable to use any method that requires any considerable time for 

 each lot of grain. These methods, however, ma} T be used as a check 

 upon the work of the deputy inspectors, to educate their judgment, to 

 prevent carelessness or dishonesty, and to give inspection departments 

 a means of justifying the decisions which they make. 



ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS IN GRADING CORN. 



In grading commercial corn there are two classes of elements to be 

 considered. First, those which indicate condition — moif-ture, percent- 

 age of moldy, rotten, or otherwise damaged kernels, and percentage 

 of broken grains, dirt, and other foreign material; and pecond, those 

 which indicate quality — color, plumpness, relative proportion of 

 starchy to hard material, and relative size of germ. For present pur- 

 poses there are four elements which are essential in determining the 

 grade of a cargo of corn and which may, when necessary, be measured 

 with reasonable accuracy and speed. These are (1) the moisture, (2) 

 the percentage of colors in mixtures, (3) the percentage of damaged 

 grains, and (1) the percentage of broken grains and dirt. 



The relative importance of these elements varies under different 

 conditions and with the different demands which the grain is used to 

 supply. It is not to be understood that the four elements mentioned 

 are all that should be considered in grading corn, but they are at least 

 important and of such a nature that they may be accurately measured; 



"The italics in the above rules do not occur in the originals. 



