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 1? ? 131 6 
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 
Page. 
1 
2 
Page. 
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. All 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 limits 
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 
