278 Journal of Agriculture, Victoria. [10 May, 1916. 



Pickling Methods. 

 Any pickling metliod to be successful must fulfil three conditions : — 



(1) Satisfy the principles enumerated above; 



(2) Be not easily susceptible of abuse; 



(3) It must be economical of time and labour. 



There are three well known methods that more or less satisfy these 

 conditions. They are : — 



(1) The ham-floor method. — The grain from three or four bags 



is tipped on to a good floor, or into a large trough, and 

 pickle made up as directed, is added to the grain from 

 time to time as required, the grain being turned with a 

 shovel until the mass is thoroughly and evenly moistened. 

 In the hands of an expert, this is a very quick and satis- 

 factory method, but for general use, since the end point 

 depends on the energy and conception of the operator, it 

 does not fulfil the second condition laid down, and for 

 smutty seed it provides no method of getting rid of the 

 smut-balls. Again, one may forget to dip the bag, and 

 so possibly re-infect the seed. 



(2) The hag immersion method. — Wheat is generally broken 



down into butts (afterwards convenient for use on the 

 drill), and each of these is lowered into the standard 

 pickle contained in a cask, and left there from four to 

 five minutes. It is usual to vigorously lift the butt up and 

 down in the pickle to cause even wetting of the grain, 

 but the time of immersion will usually insure this. This 

 way is undoubtedly slower than the barn-floor method, 

 but it has the inestimable value of being independent of 

 the skill of the operator, who, merely observing the rules, 

 could pickle on a hundred occasions and still be sure that 

 the treatment would be the same. That is to say, this 

 method is based on a time standard, and it will be noted 

 that the bag must necessarily also be disinfected. 



(3) Immersion in an open perforated vessel. — Most farmers are 



satisfied with one or other of the above methods, or some 

 modification of them, but all of which entail considerable 

 labour without being ideal. Of late years, several good 

 picklers embodying the above principle have been put on 

 the market. They are of reasonable price, and are efii- 

 cient in time, labour, and in operation. One style of 

 machine consists of four essential parts as follows: — 



(1) The bag-lifter; 



(2) The perforated hopper; 



(3) Watertight wooden vessel containing hopper 



and pickle; 



(4) The bag holder. 



The machine is so arranged that a bag of wheat may be wheeled to 

 the bag lifter, the mouth opened, and lifter and all tilted until the 

 grain begins to pour into the pickle held in the perforated copper 



