88 ESSAYS ON WHEAT 



Usually the paper is then taken up and the wheat upon it 

 poured back into the sample bag. The weight per bushel 

 is recorded on the ticket in the bag. 



When there is the least chance that the amount of dock- 

 age may influence the weight per bushel to the extent of 

 aiJecting the grade, the dockagejs removed and the weight 

 of grain per measured bushel again determined. 



To estimate the amount of the admixtures of weed seeds 

 and oats, etc., i. e., to set the dockage, the sample is poured 

 out on to the sheet of brown paper and then thoroughly 

 mixed by hand. Then one pound of the wheat is put 

 into a hopper and weighed out on a balance. The in- 

 spector then takes a standard sieve with ten meshes to 

 the inch each way and pours the pound of wheat into it. 

 The sieve is then shaken until the weed seeds have come 

 through, leaving the wheat behind. If buckwheat is pres- 

 ent, this is left behind with the wheat, and the wheat 

 and buckwheat are then sieved again with another sieve 

 of special construction having triangular holes. Through 

 these holes the buckwheat passes, leaving the wheat be- 

 hind. Then, if oats or wild oats are present with the 

 wheat, the oats and wheat are shaken in another sieve with 

 larger rounded holes. Through these holes the wheat 

 passes, leaving the oats and wild oats behind. The dock- 

 age is then collected and weighed on the same balance 

 that was used for weighing out the original pound of 

 wheat. As soon as equilibrium has been established, the 

 percentage of dockage for the wheat is read off directly 

 from the scale on the beam bearing the weight and at 

 once recorded on the sample ticket. By weighing the 

 dockage which is relatively of small mass, there is less 

 chance of making a spill than when weighing the cleaned 

 grain. If any of the dockage should be spilled before 

 weighing, the spill will operate in favor of the farmer. 



