EXERCISE XVIII. 

 COMMERCIAL GRADING OF WHEAT. 



Supplies for a Laboratory Section of Twelve. Twelve bottles (4 oz. screw cap) of each commercial grade of 

 Hard Winter Wheat, Northern Spring, or Red Winter. 



INTRODUCTION. You have noticed in previous work that environment has a definite 

 effect upon the physical properties and composition of wheat. This relation between wheat and 

 environment is in fact so well defined in the United States that the grain trade has come to 

 recognize several regional types of wheat. (See Fig. 22, p. 49.) Thus most winter wheat 

 coming from east of the Mississippi River is known as Red Winter. Most of the wheat 

 coming from the two regions immediately west of the Red Winter region is marketed either 

 as Northern Spring or Hard Winter. Wheat from the belt just east of the Rocky Mountains, 

 if of a certain type, is classed as Durum. Most of the wheat from California, Oregon, and 

 Washington goes on the market as Pacific Coast. 



Though in most cases, environmental factors are the important thing in determining the 

 market names of wheat, there are a few minor considerations which materially affect this 

 rather general classification. This is illustrated by the fact that Pacific Coast wheat is mar- 

 keted either as Pacific Coast Red or Pacific Coast White, according to color. Furthermore, 

 it will be observed that winter and spring wheats, even from the same locality, are not 

 marketed as the same wheat. (For detailed information concerning the classes of wheat see 

 "Grades of Grain" as adapted by the Grain Dealers National Association. This pamphlet 

 may be obtained at a cost of five cents per copy, from J. F. Courcier, Secretary of the Grain 

 Dealers National Association, Toledo, Ohio. 



It is important for millers and other large dealers in wheat to know what class of wheat 

 they are purchasing, but this information in itself is not complete, since the quality within 

 any one of the several classes may vary through wide limits. In Exercise XVII you will 

 recall having studied a large number of factors which affect the quality of wheat in general. 

 Of the factors studied, those most commonly used in commercial grading of wheat are — weight 

 per bushel, soundness, plumpness, purity, and must. The quality of Hard Winter, or any 

 other market class of wheat, will vary according to the degree in which it is affected by such 

 factors. In order to properly describe this variation in quality within a given class, four arbi- 

 trary standards have been agreed upon. These four standards, namely, grades No. 1, 2, 3 and 

 4, are nearly the same for all classes of wheat. 



Commercial grading of grain has become almost a profession in itself. It requires long 

 experience and much practice if one is really to become expert in the work. Many of the 

 principles upon which this grading is based can, however, be learned in a short time. 



DIRECTIONS. Grade- the samples of wheat with which you are supplied. Record notes 

 concerning each sample as illustrated by the following: 



Sample No. 1. 



Class Hard Winter. 



Grade No. 2. 



Weight per bushel 59 lbs. 



Remarks Dark colored, sound, sweet and clean. 



♦Class — Hard Winter Wheat. Grade No. 1 shall include all varieties of pure, hard win- 

 ter wheat, sound, plump, dry, sweet and well cleaned and weigh not less than 61 lbs. to 

 the measured bushel. 



Grade No. 2 shall include all varieties of hard winter wheat of both light and dark colors, 

 dry, sound, sweet and clean, and weigh not kcs than 59 lbs. to the measured bushel. 



"From "Grades of Grain Adopted by the Grain Dealers' National Association.' 



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