40 Grain Screenings. 



Conclusions. 



THE GRAIN GROWER. 



On a car of 1,200 bushels of wheat, carrying 3 per cent dockage, 

 the grower loses 36 bushels as screenings, 60 per cent of which is 

 valuable feed worth at least $25 per ton, when bran sells at $28. 

 This means a loss of $16.20 in feed. Transport charges on 36 bushels 

 from the average Saskatchewan farm to the lake front amount to 

 $7.02, making a total loss of $23.22 on the car. Much of this loss 

 can be avoided if the farmer will insist that the thresher operate his 

 separator so as to clean the grain more thoroughly at threshing time. 

 When the grain is very dirty, more attention must be given to its 

 cleaning, which may mean slightly slower threshing, but this will 

 pay the grower because the dirtier the grain is left the greater will 

 be his loss. The thresherman would of course be entitled to some 

 consideration on account of a slower rate of threshing and for the 

 screenings separated. A grower who owns -a threshing machine 

 should fit it with a set of sieves that will make it possible for him 

 to clean his grain more efficiently as he threshes it. 



The finer weed seeds (black seeds) in screenings should be separ- 

 ated from the rest and burned. They decrease the feeding value 

 of the larger and valuable portion, and are a dangerous source of weed 

 contamination. An ordinary grinder will leave thousands of vital 

 weed seeds in every pound of feed made from screenings containing 

 fine seeds. See page 12. Black seeds have considerable value 

 as fuel and will burn readily on account of the high oil content of 

 lamb's quarters and mustard seeds which make up the larger part 

 of these seeds. 



Screenings after being carefully cleaned over a /^ inch perfor- 

 ated zinc screen to remove the fine seeds make a valuable feed for 

 any kind of stock. They may be fed to sheep unground if care is 

 taken to prevent the spread of weeds. For hogs they may be ground 

 or fed whole if soaked or boiled. They had better be ground for 

 horses or cattle. They are a very valuable poultry feed. 



THE THRESHERMAN. 



In threshing the 1912 crop, enough weed seeds, small, broken, 

 and immature kernels and dirt was left in the grain to require a 

 dockage of over 100,000 tons. 



Nine manufacturers of threshing machinery, including prac- 

 tically all machines in use in Western Canada, state very definitely 

 that their machines are or may be fitted with screens and operated 

 to separate most of this material. 



To do efficient work in cleaning grain, threshing machines 

 should not be crowded beyond their proper capacity. Many farmers 

 are not convinced of the economy of having their threshing done 

 carefully enough to leave their grain clean. When, however a 

 customer is willing to pay a fair price for cleaning it more thoroughly 



