14 BULLETIN 472, TJ. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



further description. In testing grain for weight per bushel, it is 

 often essential to know the exact weight in fractions of a pound, 

 and this is especially true in the grading of commercial grain, where 

 the rules for the grades specify a minimum test weight which reads 

 in half pounds. 



The special beam, graduated to read in tenths of a pound, was 

 devised in order to make it possible to obtain reliable results reading 

 in fractions of a pound. This special beam has two bars, one above 

 the other, each of which has three lines of graduations. The first 

 line on the lower bar reads in pounds per bushel, in divisions of 10 

 pounds up to 60 pounds; the second line reads in pounds and ounces 

 by one-half ounce divisions up to 2 pounds dead weight, and is used 

 principally for determining " dockage " in grain ; the third line 

 reads in percentage of 2 pounds by 1 per cent divisions up to 100 

 per cent. The first line of graduations on the upper bar reads in 

 pounds and tenths of a pound up to 10 pounds per bushel ; the second 

 line reads in grams by 2-gram divisions up to 200 grams dead 

 weight ; and the third line reads in percentage of 200 grams by 1 per 

 cent divisions up to 100 per cent. These last two lines of graduations 

 will be found especially useful in the analysis of corn to determine 

 Avhat it should grade from the standpoint of damaged kernels or of 

 foreign matter and finely broken corn. 



The poise on the lower bar is supplied with a set screw, so that it 

 can be moved to any one of the 10-pound graduations and clamped 

 in position to keep it from shifting while repeated weighings are 

 being made on the upper beam. 



OPERATING THE TESTER. 



Place the tester on a solid table top or other firm base. Adjust 

 the height of the funnel arm so that the opening in the bottom of 

 the funnel is exactly 2 inches above the top of the test kettle. Place 

 the test kettle on the metal plate over the grate and see that the over- 

 flow pan is in place under the grate opening. Swing the hopper arm 

 into the forward position until the projection extending backward 

 is in contact with the guidepost, when the opening in the bottom 

 of the funnel will be directly over the center of the test kettle. Close 

 the valve in the outlet from the hopper and fill the hopper with the 

 grain or seed to be tested. Open the valve wide with a quick motion 

 and allow the grain to run through until the kettle overflows. Swing 

 the hopper arm out of the way to the left. Strike the excess grain 

 from the top of the test kettle with three zigzag motions of the spe- 

 cial stroker, being careful that the sides of the stroker are held in a 

 vertical position and that the kettle is not jarred during the opera- 

 tion. Bring the beam arm with beam suspended into its forward 



