BULLETIN OF THE 



No. 48 



Contribution from the Bureau of Plant Industry, Wm. A. Taylor, Chief 

 December 19, 1913. 



THE SHRINKAGE OF SHELLED CORN WHILE IN 

 CARS IN TRANSIT. 



By J. W. T. Duvel, Crop Technologist in Charge of Grain Standardisation 

 Investigations, and Laurel Duval, formerly in Charge of the Grain Stand- 

 ardization Laboratory at Baltimore, Md. 



INTRODUCTION. 



In January, 1910, special investigations were begun at Baltimore, 

 Md., to determine the amount of natural shrinkage or loss in weight 

 of shelled corn containing various percentages of moisture daring 

 transit in cars and while in storage in elevators. 1 



The data on' shrinkage contained in these pages comprise the results 

 of four special shipments of corn from Baltimore, Md., to Chicago, 

 111., and return. The first experiment, made April 15, 1910, was in 

 cooperation with the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Co. The second, 

 third, and fourth experiments were made in cooperation with the 

 Pennsylvania Railroad Co. The second shipment was made on 

 December 24, 1910; the third, March 2, 1911; and the fourth, May 

 11, 1911. The losses in weight shown for the various shipments do 

 not include the losses in loading or unloading, but simply the natural 

 shrinkage in the weight of the corn while in the cars. 



METHODS USED IN DETERMINING SHRINKAGE IN CORN. 



The freight cars used in these experiments were especially selected, 

 uniform in design and condition, and specialty coopered to make them 

 grain tight. The cars were held together on the track for several 

 days prior to loading, so that there would be no variation in their 

 weight due to differences in the condition of the wood. An empty 

 box car of the same series and condition was moved in the same train 

 with the loaded cars, as a check in determining the variation in 

 weight due to the absorption or evaporation of moisture by the cars 



1 The results of the first experiment of the series on the shrinkage of shelled corn in 

 storage were published as Circular 81, Bureau of Plant Industry, U. S. Department of 

 Agriculture. 



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