UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 



Jjjjfl BULLETIN No. 1065 $ . 



iJtf Contribution from the Bureau of Markets and yt*4 



Crop Estimates '^S 



H. C. TAYLOR, Chief J&P^&U 



Washington, D. C. 



PROFESSIONAL PAPER 



May 18, 1922 



THE TEST WEIGHT OF GRAIN: A SIMPLE 

 METHOD OF DETERMINING THE ACCU- 

 RACY OF THE TESTING APPARATUS. 



By E. G. Boeknee, In Charge of Grain Investigations, and E. H. Ropes, 

 formerly Specialist in Grain Investigations. 



Test weight per bushel and appa- 

 ratus for taking it 



Variations- in making weight-per- 

 bushel determinations 



Special points to observe in making 

 correct wcight-per-bushel tests 



CONTENTS. 



Page. 



Method of determining accuracy of 

 test kettle 



Method of determining accuracy and 

 sensitiveness of beam 



Page. 



11 



TEST WEIGHT PER BUSHEL AND APPARATUS FOR TAKING IT. 



The " test weight per bushel " is one of the governing factors in 

 assigning grades to grain. It is therefore highly essential that the 

 " test weight " be accurately determined, as it affects market values. 



The " weight-per-bushel tester," shown in figure 1 and described 

 in United States Department of Agriculture Bulletin 472, was 

 designed by the Department of Agriculture to provide means by 

 which the " test weight per bushel " of grain might be rapidly and 

 accurately determined. This apparatus and the method of use there 

 cribed have been adopetd as the standard apparatus and method 

 in connection with the enforcement of the United States grain 

 standards Act. 



'I he ti'irn "• test weight per bushel " as applied to grain is a grading 

 designation used in the oflieial grain standards promulgated by the 

 S< retary of Agriculture under authority of the United States grain 

 standards Act. The meaning of the term " test weight per bushel " 

 should not be confused with the meaning of the term " legal bushel," 

 which is used in connection with the United States customs and for 

 • mmercial purposes, as these two terms are fundamentall) different 



in meaning. Test veight per bushel is the weigh! of the volume of 

 2' -22 



