UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 



BULLETIN No. 374 



Contribution from the Bureau of Plant Industry 

 WM. A. TAYLOR, Chief 



Washington, D. C. 



PROFESSIONAL PAPER 



October 17, 1916 



THE INTRINSIC VALUES OF GRAIN, COTTONSEED, 

 FLOUR, AND SIMILAR PRODUCTS, BASED ON THE 

 DRY-MATTER CONTENT. 



By E.G. BoERNER, Assistant in Grain Standardization. 



CONTENTS. 



Introduction 



Comparative values on a dry -matter basis . . . 



Method of determining comparative values on 

 a dry-matter basis 



Advantage of buying and selling on a dry- 

 matter basis 



Other factors to be considered 6 



Relation of reduction of moisture content to 



shrinkage in weight 7 



Explanation of tables 8 



INTRODUCTION. 



Grain, cottonseed, flour, and other vegetable products are composed 

 of dry matter and water. Ail vegetable matter contains a consider- 

 able percentage of water even when it is thoroughly air dried. The 

 proportion of water to dry matter in the grains or cottonseed varies 

 in each case with the season of the year, the sections of the country 

 in which they are grown, and the way these products are handled and 

 stored after being harvested. The minimum and maximum Hmits 

 of the moisture content vary somewhat with each kind of grain, cot- 

 tonseed, and their manufactured products, but are usually within the 

 range, of 10 to 30 per cent. New corn, however, frequently exceeds 

 30 per cent in moisture, while the small grains and cottonseed when 

 thoroughly air dry sometimes test less than 10 per cent in moisture. 



The water contained in these products, even when they are in an 

 air-dry condition, is not considered as having any food or feeding 

 value. Any additional moisture that it might be necessary or desir- 

 able to add to air-dry grain, flour, etc., to put it in proper condition 

 for feeding, manufacturing, baking, etc., can be added as water at 

 the proper time at a much less cost than to purchase it at the 

 prices for which the products sell. 



41645°— Bull. 374:— 16 1 



