4 BULLETIN 980, TJ. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



that they will be suitable to the producers' ideas usually fail. This 

 is evidenced by the attempt in 1920 on the part of country shippers 

 to do away with " Standard " timothy, a grade which was very seldom 

 used bj T country shippers. This grade has caused considerable con- 

 fusion in the hay business and was eliminated in August, 1921. 



VARIATION IN ESTABLISHED GRADES. 



Almost a score of sets of grades have been in existence for several 

 years and they show considerable variation in the requirements for 

 certain grades. 1 " Prime " timothy is a grade used in only two ter- 

 minal markets, Buffalo and New York City. This grade calls for 

 " straight " timothy, a product which now is seldom grown. 



" Choice " timothy is found in the grades of Buffalo, Galveston, 

 Little Rock. Fort Worth, Denver, and in the Washington and Oregon 

 State grades. Little Rock grades require that " choice " timothy be 

 "straight" timothy. The Denver grade allows 12.5 per cent of 

 " other " grasses, and the other sets allow 5 per cent of " other " 

 grasses. 



No. 1 timothy grades also show some variation. As regards mix- 

 ture, the New York City grade is the strictest, while the requirements 

 of the Washington and Oregon grades are the most lenient. No. 1 

 New York City timothy allows for other grasses, with the exception 

 of clover, while the Washington and Oregon State grades allow 15 

 per cent of redtop, or clover or wild grasses, or 25 per cent of alfalfa. 



The Pennsylvania State grades allow 20 per cent of " other " 

 grasses in No. 1 timothy, and most of the other sets of grades allow 

 only 12.5 per cent of " other " grasses. Standard timothy is found 

 in only two sets of grades, namely, those of the National Hay Asso- 

 ciation and of Little Rock, Ark. The grade requirements for Nos. 

 2 and 3 timothy also show considerable variation, which tends to 

 confuse the shipper who ships hay to different markets not using the 

 same set of grades. 



The variation in the different sets of grades is not greater than 

 the variation of interpretation of grades in different markets using 

 the same set of grades. 



PRESENT STATUS OF INSPECTION SERVICE. 



With but few exceptions, inspection of hay is made only at ter- 

 minal and distributing markets. The exceptions are in Washington 

 State in the Yakima Valley, where National Hay Association grades 

 are used by inspectors under the directions of the Seattle Merchants' 

 Exchange, and at several points in Idaho, where State inspectors em- 

 ploy the State grades. 



1 For detailed information regarding grade requirements used by various markets, see 

 grades used by National Hay Association, New York City, Little Rock, Denver, and Gal- 

 veston, and Washington, Oregon and Pennsylvania State grades. 



