CEREALS IN COMMERCE 573 



the use of 3 machines of 6 compartments each, can readily 

 make 200 or more tests in a day of 8 hours, an average 

 of a test every 2J minutes. 



632. Inspection is made of all grain entering the large 

 markets. When the grain is later transferred to another 

 point, or exported, it is " inspected out." There are 

 usually a chief inspector, one or more deputy inspectors, 

 and a number of samplers. In Illinois, Minnesota, and 

 Kansas, there is a state inspection service. At New 

 York the inspection is in charge of the Produce Exchange. 

 At Portland the inspection is effected by a committee 

 of the Chamber of Commerce, of which the chairman is 

 chief inspector. On the arrival of the grain the samples 

 are taken from different parts of each car, and from dif- 

 ferent depths, both to get a fair average for the car and 

 as a check upon the practice of " plugging." Sometimes 

 a car is fraudulently filled or plugged at certain parts with 

 poor grain or foreign material. The samples are then 

 taken to the inspection rooms for examination. In many 

 cases the inspector performs both duties, of taking the 

 samples and determining the grades, at the same time. 

 Certificates are issued by the inspector, showing the 

 grade of each consignment of grain inspected and re- 

 ceived into public elevators. These certificates are ne- 

 gotiable and are exchanged ^when there is a transfer of 

 ownership of the grain. At Minneapolis and Duluth, 

 the weighmasters are state officials. At some other 

 points they are officials of the board-of-trade. 



633. Exchange operations. At every important grain 

 market there is a board-of-trade or grain exchange, so 

 organized as to render valuable service to both producer 

 and consumer of grain. Inspection rooms are in the 

 same building or near by. Samples of the different 



