567-812-25m TEXAS AGRICUHURAE e EXPERIMENT STAEIONS BULLETIN NO. 152 AUGUST 1912 T ‘ m; HEA TING OF comv cuors By G. S. FRAPS, Chemist ~ ' ti!" ' I E‘ IEI-fiv _ . ‘A ‘ ‘ ' 1 m ‘| ~ _ I ml . » w’ H‘ - ' u .1 ‘I, _ r_ l. I "I I . ' y ‘g; - I J11’ POSTQF F ICE - . College Station, Brazos County, Texas I @ AUSTIN PRINTING COMPANY AUSTIN. TEXAS 1912 TEXAS AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT S’I‘A'PIONS. GOVERNING BOARD. (Board of Directors A. & M. College.) WALTON PETEET, President . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Fort Worth . JOHN I. GUIoN, Vice-President . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..Ballinger CHAS. DAVIS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .' . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Steele’s Store L. J. HART . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..San Antonio J. ALLEN KYLE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..Houston R. L. BENNETT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Paris D. W. KEMPNER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..Galveston En. R. KONE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..Austin PRESIDENT OF COLLEGE. R. T. MILNER . . . . . . . . . . . . . .» . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .College Station STATION STAFF‘. B. YoUNeBLoon, M. S . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Director M. FRANCIS, D. V. S . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Veterinarian G. S. FRAPS, PH. D . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Chemist H. NESS, M. S . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ._ . . . . . . . . . . ..Horticu1turist J. C. BURNS, B. S . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Animal Husbandman W1LMoN NEWELL, M. S . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Entomologist A. B. CoNNER, B. S . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Agronomist F. H. BLODGETT, PH. D . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Plant Pathologist and Physiologist J. M. JoHNsoN. M. S . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Farm Management Expert W. L. BOYETT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..State Feed Inspector HARPER DEAN, B. S . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Assistant Entomologist J. B. RATHER, M. S . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Assistant Chemist J. B. KELLY, A. B . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Assistant Chemist L. C. LUDLUM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..Assistant Chemist F. B. PADDOCK, B. S . . . . . . . . . . . . . . L . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Assistant Entomologist H. H. J oBsoN, B. S . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Assistant Agronomist CHAS. A. FELKER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Chief Clerk A. S. WARE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..Secretary J. M. SCHAEDEI . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..Stenographer R. L. SPILLER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Mailing Clerk STATE AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATIONS. GOVERNING BOARD. Hrs EXCELLENCY GOVERNOR O. B. COLQUITT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Austin LIEUTENANT-GOVERNOR A. B. DAVIDSON . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..Cuero COMMISSIONER or AGRICULTURE HON. ED. R. KONE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..Austin . DIRECTOR 0F STATIONS. B. YOUNGBLOOD, M. S . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .College Station SUPERINTENDENTS OF SUB-STATIONS. E. E. W. S. HOTCHKISS, Troup Sub-Station . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..Troup, Smith County E. M. JoHNsToN, Cooperative Rice Station . . . . . . . .Beaumont, Jefferson County I. S. YORK, Spur Sub-Station . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Spur, Dickens County T. W. BUELL. Denton, Sub-Station . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Denton, Denton County A. K. SHORT, Temple Sub-Station . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..Temple, Bell County V. L. CORY, Lubbock Sub-Station. . . . ............Lubbock, Lubbock County P. D. PERKINS, Angleton Sub-Station . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Angleton, Brazoria County H. C. STEWART. Pecos Sub-Station . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..Pecos, Reeves County G. T. MCNESS, Nacogdoches Sub-Station. . . .Nacogdoches, Nacogdoches County H. C. HOLMES, Feeding and Breeding Station. . .College Station, Brazos County NoTE.——The main station is located on the grounds of the Agricultural and Mechanical College, in Brazos County. The postoflice address is College Station, Texas. Reports and bulletins are sent upon application to the Director. A postal card will bring these publications. (2) BINFORD, Beeville Sub-Station . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Beeville, Bee County THE HEATING OF CORN CIIOPS. _ BY G. s. FRAPS, CHEMIST. There is usually damage and loss due to the heating of corn chops in Texas in the spring months. The number of occurrences of this kind, and the amount of tl1e loss, were unusually large in the spring of 1912. This was coincident with the fact that the previouscorn crops in Texas had been unusually short, and that an unusual amount of corn chops had been shipped in from States north of Texas. PREVIOUS WORK‘. The author has been able to find little work on this subject.‘ It is known, however, that the spoiling is due to excess of moisture. Ac- cording to Schindler, an Austrian authority cited by Black and Als- berg (Bulletin 199, Bureau of Plant Industry, United States De- partment of Agriculture), whole corn is liable to spoil if it contains more than 13 to 15 per cent moisture. Air-dry corn in the northern states contains 12 per cent moisture, 1f thoroughly dry. Corn con- taining a greater moisture content has been harvested too soon, or frozen before maturity, or shelled before it has been properly cured on the cob. Corn meal should contain less moisture than the whole grain. Schindler believes that corn containing 15 per cent moisture will yield meal containing 131/3 per cent moisture. Black and Alsberg believe both these limits are too high for the United States. _ The spoiling of corn chops is thus probably due to moisture in ex- cess of 13 or 14 per cent. MOISTURE CONTENT OF SPOILED CHOPS. A number of samples of spoiled corn chops was collected by in- spectors employed by the Feed Control. The analyses are seen in Table 1. TCABLE 1.—MOISTURE CONTENT OF SPOILED CORN CHOPS. Sample Number. ‘ 6066 ___________________________________________________________________________ _- 16.80 per cent water 6067 _______________________________________________ _-_ ____________________________ -_ 17 per cent water 6078 ___________________________________________________________________________ _- 14.26 per cent water 6069 ____________________________________________________________________________ ._ 14.29 per cent water (i070 ___________________________________________________________________________ -_ 1.4.71 per cent water 6072 ___________________________________________________________________________ _- 15.87 per cent water 6073 ___________________________________________________________________________ -_ 15.12 per cent water (i074 ___________________________________________________________________________ __ 16.04 per cent water (X175 ___________________________________________________________________________ -- 15.95 per cent water G076 _____________________________________ ___ ____________________________________ -- 14.45 per cent water 6102 __________ __. ______________________________________________________________ -_ 13.26 per-cent water 6105 _____________________________________ -1 ____________________________________ __ 16.01 per cent water 6151 ______________________ __' ____________________________________________________ _- 13.44 per cent water 6157 ____________________________________________________________________________ __ 11.6] per cent water 6158 ____________________________________________________________________________ "1753 per cent water With one exception, these samples contained over 13 per cent moist- ui-e. It is possible that some of these lots of chops may have dried out to some extent before the sample was taken. _.4_ MOISTURE IN CORN CHUPS SOLD IN TEXAS. A study was made of the records of analyses of corn chops made by this department for the Feed Control. 'l‘he average moisture con- tent of all samples registered during the months mentioned, 1s pre- sented in Table 2, TABLE 2.—AVERAGE MOISTURE CONTENT OF OOl-{N OHOPS SOLD IN TEXAS. 1909 l 1910 1911 1912 January ____________________________________________________________ __ 12.70 11.83 14.00 February _____________________________________ __ -___ 13.71 13.16 14.78 March _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ . _ . . _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _-1 12.55 12.17 15.86 April _ _ . _ _ _ _ . _ . . _ _ _ _ __ l 13.01 May ___ -_l 10.86 June ___ ____ __ _ 10.87 July ___ __i 9.87 August -- 1 10.02 September ___I 9.20 October 10.61! 9.92 November _ 10.431 10 94 December _____________ -_ _ . ____________________ _- 11.46% 10.81 . The average moisture content for a number of months is less than ten per cent. The average in the years 1910 and 1911 is less than 13 per cent for all months except February and April, but in 1912 the average is over thirteen per cent in January, February, and March. The spring complaints of spoiling corn chops are thus assi- ciated with a larger average moisture content of the chops. The un- usual number of complaints and loss in the spring of 1912 are asso- ciated with an unusually high average content of moisture. TABLE 8.—TOTAL NUMBER OF CORN GHOPS SAMPLES, AND NUMBER CONTAINING OVER FOURTEEN PER CENT MOISTURE. l i Month. Total. " Over 14% Total. 1 Over 14% Total. ‘Over 14% 1909 11510 1911 November ______________________ __ 75 1 _________ "i 37 | 1 31 l 2 December ______________________ - _ 37 _ 1 l 35 ‘ _________ _ _1 21 l 5 1910 1 1911 1912 January ______________________ __ s5 * 3 l s9 l s 25 g 12 Feburary _____________________ __ 29 ; 14 1 40 i 15 20 i 12 March _________________________ __ 23 1 3 ' I 21 l 5 18 i 12 April __________________________ __ 12 2 l 16 3 18 I 8 May ___________________________ __ 26 __________ _. 37 l 2 _________ _-| _________ -- June __________________________ __ 8 1 _________ __ 32 1 _________ __i _________ -_ July ___________________________ __ 3 ‘ ......... __ 15 - -i- - August ________________________ __ 6 ‘_____--___-‘ 20 ____________________ __| _________ -- September _____________________ -_ 24 V1 _________ -- 7 I ____________________ --1 _________ __ October _______________________ __ 37 5 _________ --,‘ 12 1 -------------------- n’ --------- -- Total ................... W ......... -_j1 23 ; _________ 35 -'_ ....... "l 51 . 1 I 1 a Table 3 shows the total number of samples of corn Qhops regis- tered, and the number containing more than 14 per cent moisture. In 1910 and 1911 the maximum number comes in February. In 1912 a large number are found in January, February, March and April} _..5__ DISCUSSION. The cause of the molding of corn chops in unusual amounts during the spring of 1912 is due to the shipment into the State of corn chops containing an excessive quantity of water. Corn chops containing over 14 per cent moisture are very likely to spoil under Texas con- ditions. Corn chops containing 14 per cent or more of moisture are very likely t0 become damaged, and in such event can only be sold as damaged feed. If damaged corn chops are mixed with other feed- ing stuifs, the mixture is adulterated, under the provisions of Section 11 of the Feed Law. - Parties importing corn chops should require a guarantee that the chops do not contain over 14 per cent moisture. Shipments contain- ing an excess of moisture should not be accepted. If necessary, ‘the corn should be dried, in kilns or otherwise. The additional expense of drying is small in comparison with the value of the corp, which is almost sure to spoil if it contains an excess of moisture. Corn containing 10 to 12 per cent moisture may spoil if stored in bulk, or in sacks packed so as to prevent ventilation. SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS. (1) The spoiling of corn chops is due to excess of moisture. (2) If corn chops contain over 14 per cent moisture, they are almost certain to-spoil in this State during the Warmer months. (3) Importers should require corn to contain less than 14 per cent moisture. \ p (4) Corn containing over 10 per cent moisture should be Well ven- tilated, or handled, if in bulk, so that it can dry out, especially during warm periods. -