78 DEEP FURROWS 



door, which extends above the "load line"; the 

 standard sampler which he uses is a cylindrical brass 

 rod, so constructed that when it is " stabbed " to the 

 bottom of the car the grain which fills it is a correct 

 sample of wheat at every depth. Seven such samples 

 are procured from different sections of the car, and the 

 track foreman, standing on a ladder, watches these 

 poured onto a cloth with an eye to detecting evidence of 

 " plugging " with an inferior quality of grain ; these 

 seven samples having been mixed thoroughly, a canvas 

 bag is filled from the result and the two-and-one-half 

 pounds which it will hold become the official sample. 

 The rest of the mixture is dumped back and the car 

 resealed. 



The foreman has filled out a sample ticket with car 

 number, date, load line, initials of sampler and any 

 other notations necessary such as leakages, etc. His 

 own name is stamped on the back of the ticket, which 

 goes into the sample sack. Copies of the way bills with 

 full information as to all cars, shipping points, con- 

 signees or advisees and destinations are obtained from 

 the railway yard office and these, together with the 

 samples, are sent twice a day to the Chief Grain 

 Inspector's office at the Grain Exchange. 



Here the samples are inspected and graded in a room 

 with special lighting facilities. The grading is done 

 only in broad daylight. The quality of the grain, its con- 

 dition and the admixtures are determined respectively 

 by judgment of hand and eye, by elaborate mechanical 

 moisture tests and by a sieving and weighing process. 

 The whole sample is examined closely for color, plump- 

 ness, weight, etc., in order to fix its grade as No. 1 

 Hard, No. 1 Northern, 2 Northern, 3 Northern ; 1 Hard 

 and 1 Northern must weigh at least sixty pounds, 



