Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 40, Number 37, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 14 January 1908 — A Corn Moisture Tester. [ARTICLE]

A Corn Moisture Tester.

Babcock & Hopkins have installed at .their elevator office an instrument for testing the amount of moisture in corn, and they are using it on all shipments. After the corn has been dumped in the elevator, shelled, dried and loaded ready for shipment it has been testing from 17 to 19 per cent watery and therefore gradt sas Nd. 3 corn on the eastern markets. Corn is divided into three shipping grades, No. 2 being corn that shows from 12 to 15 per cent water, No. 3 showing from 15 to 19 per cent water, and No. 4 showing from 19 tp 21 per cent. Corn with a greater per cent water than 21 per cent is called no grade corn. Itis only safe to ship the No. 1 and 2 grades to the east. This firm has tested corn as it enters the elevator from the farm wagon and have found that there is from 23 to 35 per cent water in the corn at that time. The price paid here is 40 cents a bushel, which is 2 cents less than is being paid at Remington, Goodland, Kentland and other places, but the corn over in that direction is showing a lees moisture test, and the elevators there are said to be having men separate the corn as it is dumped and throw the wet com back in the farmer's wagon, so that the difference is fully made up by the difference in price. Some cold weather would probably assist greatly in drying the corn. There is still considerable com in the field.