INSPECTION AND GRADING OF HAY. 15 



hay they want because they can get no official outbound certificates 

 and must take the hay on the grade of the various shippers. 



At one large market in 11 months during the year 1919 over 12,000 

 cars of hay were inspected on arrival and official certificates of grade 

 were issued. At least 50 per cent of this hay was reshipped or sold 

 to points south or east, but no outbound certificates were furnished, 

 and from interviews with dealers and consumers in the territory to 

 which this hay was shipped it appears that in some instances the 

 hay was sold on a higher grade designation than the inbound cer- 

 tificates showed the grade to be. 



At another terminal market during the same period nearly 3,000 

 cars were inspected upon arrival and official certificates as to grade 

 were issued. Nine certificates on " out " inspection were issued, yet 

 it was estimated that more than 50 per cent of all of the hay in this 

 market was reshipped and sold to points farther south. 



Conditions are similar in many other markets which have the 

 same practices, for it has been noted that at present very few cer- 

 tificates of grade are officially issued for outbound shipments, even in 

 markets which provide for "in" inspection on all hay arriving on 

 these markets. 



UNIFORM GRADES AND INSPECTION. 



There will be no improvement in hay marketing until uniform 

 grades are adopted and strictly adhered to in all of the markets. 

 The need for more uniform grades is strikingly shown by the rather 

 general use of special grades to describe a kind of hay not cov- 

 ered by any present grade designation. Those using these special 

 grades are country shippers, distributors, and consumers. They are 

 not used to a noticeable extent in the large terminal markets. Coun- 

 try shippers have found that they are obliged to market a large 

 amount of hay for which present grades are not suited. By using 

 special descriptive grades they are able to sell these kinds of hay more 

 easily and more profitably than if they attempted to classify the hay 

 under existing inadequate terminal-market rules or grades. At pres- 

 ent very few hay dealers use the official rules to any great extent, and 

 they use them very carelessly. 



Uniform grades, to be of equal value to all marketing agencies, 

 should be of such a nature that each would describe a definite kind of 

 hay in regard to (1) color of leaves, stems, and heads; (2) texture; 

 (3) stage of maturity when cut; (4) approximate amount of other 

 grasses, weeds, stubble, etc.; (5) region where grown in some in- 

 stances. By using grades containing these factors the buyer and 

 seller could get a very clear word picture which would enable him 

 to know fairly accurately what he is selling or buying. Under the 

 authority conferred by the food products inspection law the Bureau 

 of Markets is conducting extensive investigations with a view to 



