FIFTH ANNUAL YEAR BOOK — PART VI. 549 



maturity, frequently contains twenty to twenty-two per cent of moisture and 

 if not given opportunity to dry out during the winter trouble will result 

 when warm weather comes in the spring and induces fermentation. 



There is much corn inspected that contains moisture in quantity close to 

 the danger line and a diflference of two or three per cent may determine 

 whether the corn will keep for any particular length of time. 



The grain imspector of today simply depends on his sense of feeling to 

 determine the moisture content of corn and it may be readily understood that 

 with the chances of good or bad judgment on the part of the inspector, 

 together with the latitude allowed by the terms in the rules of " reasonably 

 dry," there is a possibility of quite a variation in the inspection. 



The question may suggest itself as to why corn can not be inspected on 

 the basis of its constituent parts by a chemical test? Any inspection that 

 would be practical must be rapid, otherwise the system would be cumber- 

 some and expensive, as grain can not very well be held on track at terminal 

 markets for a time sufficiently long to make a chemical test by the methods 

 of today. 



Carl S. Schofield of the Department of Agriculture at Washington a year 

 or two ago perfected an apparatus for determining the moisture content of 

 grain, but I understand its use was valuable only in educating the inspectors 

 to judge the moisture content by the sense of feeling. 



The grading and inspection of grain bears a closer relation to the ter- 

 minal business in the buying and selling for future delivery than to the 

 country grain dealer or farmer as a large part of the grain goes forward 

 from country stations on consignment and is sold by sample on its merits 

 and the inspection of such grain is not considered in the transactions. 



Buying, storing and shipping corn of excessive moisture content is a 

 hazardous business. It readily absorbs moisture in transit and the losses 

 sustained by grain dealers especially when there is delay in transit is some- 

 thing enormous. 



Two or three years ago there was a large southern demand for corn and 

 the corn in this territory contained an excessive amount of moisture. Grain 

 dealers, however, shipped freely to St. Louis, Memphis and othern southern 

 markets, the corn was refused by the purchasers and the only chance was 

 to forward it to New Orleans where hundreds of car loads went to the dump 

 and the shippers required by the railroad companies to remit the freight. 



Corn has a peculiar trick of deteriorating in transit and becoming worth- 

 less at destination, and a dose of that kind of medicine is not a very good 

 appetizer for a grain dealer. 



There is great need of a more technical system of grain inspection 

 although market conditions will undoubtedly continue to effect the spread of 

 values as between grades, regardless of values based on chemical contents. 



Volume is an important element in the grain business, and a particular 

 grade or quality of grain must be offered in a volume sufficient to make the 

 handling of it in its indentity consistent and practical before it will be thus 

 recognized by the trade. 



Number two corn is unknown in the grain trade in Iowa today simply 

 because of that reason, while if possibly twenty-five per cent instead of less 



