TEST WEIGHT OF GRAIN I ACCURACY OF TESTING APPARATUS. 7 
sometimes by several small handfuls; or it is rilled from a pan or 
bag or from a funnel not of standard design. 
4. The bag, pan, or funnel in some cases is held at a point either 
higher or lower than 2 inches above the top of the kettle, sometimes 
almost even with the top and at other times raised to a considerable 
height above the kettle ; or it is filled from such bag, pan, or funnel 
sometimes with a thin small stream and at other times with a large 
heavy stream. (See fig. 4.) 
5. Instead of striking off the excess grain with the standard 
stroker, the grain is struck off with the scalebeam, a sawed-off piece 
of broomstick, a pencil or other implement, or with a worn-out 
standard stroker having rough edges. 
6. The kettle is tapped or jarred before the surplus grain is struck 
off; or the grain is pressed into the kettle before it is stroked off; 
or when the standard stroker is used, the stroke is not made with 
three full-length motions ; or the stroker is held inclined forward or 
backward instead of vertically; or the stroker is allowed to jar the 
kettle when it is placed in position ; or it is held pressed too tightly 
against the kettle during the stroke, thereby causing a jarring of the 
kettle. 
7. In the case of wheat, the test, instead of being made on the 
dockage-free wheat, which is the correct method, is made on wheat 
containing the dockage. 
Allowing samples having a high moisture content to lie around 
and dry out for some time will also seriously affect their test weight, 
as is shown in figure 5. 
Table 1. — Variations in the test iveight per bushel of oats obtained by filling 
the test kettle by different methods. 
Test kettle filled- 
Weight per bushel (pounds). 
Individual tests. 
No. 1. No. 2. No. 3. No. 4. No. 5 
Mini- 
mum. 
Maxi- 
mum. 
Aver- 
age. 
From a bag held 2 to 3 inches above the kettle 
By sinking it into the grain and pulling the 
grain into the kettle by hand: 
(1) By one motion of both hands 
(2) By 9 to 11 motions of both hands 
By dipping it into the grain 
By pulling it through the grain with about a 
2-foot sweep: 
(1) Through loose, worked-over grain. . . 
(2) Through the packed surface of the 
grain in a car before the grain had 
been worked over 
From a hopper having an outlet opening \\ 
inches in diameter held 2 inches above the 
kettle (official method) 
36.5 
37 
38.75 
38 
39.75 
37.2 
37.5 
36.5 
37 
39.25 
38.25 
40.75 
37.2 
37.5 
36.5 
37 
38.25 
39.5 
37.3 
38.25 
36.5 
36.75 
39.5 
38.25 
39 
37.2 
37 
36.25 
37 
39.5 
39.5 
39.75 
37.2 
37 
36.25 
36.75 
38.75 
. 25 37. 45 
.5 
37 
39.5 
38.5 
40.75 
37.2 37.3 
36.45 
36.95 
39.20 
38.45 
39.75 
37.22 
