10 UNITED STATES - COOPERATION AND ASSOCIATION 



of the larger elevators ; and since they can hardly sell their grain for more, 

 this means that they must pay farmers less. 



g) Capacity of Elevators. — The capacity of the co-operative elevators 

 varies considerably, the average being abont 22,750 bushels. .Some ele- 

 vators have a capacity of as mi. ch as 50,000 bashels, and there is a terdeticy 

 to replace with larger structures the older and smaller elevators which be- 

 come unprofitable ir course of time. 



The average quantit)'^ of grain and iiax handled by these elevators in 

 1914-1915 was five and a half times as much as their average capacity. 



§ 3. Commodities other than grain handi,ed by the co-operative 



Kl^EVATORS. 



The majority of the co-operative elevators handle commodities other 

 than grain. They distribute more or less frequently coal, seeds, fodder, 

 twine, wood, tile, salt, flour, lumber, cement, oils, fencing and machinery. 

 Of the entire number of elevators 24 reported that they handled nothing 

 but grain and flax, and 149 specified that they handled other prodiicts than 

 these. 



Table VI. — Farmers' Elevators buying Commodities for Patrons. 



Commodity Number 



of elevators 



Coal • . 112 



Fodder 88 



Flour 71 



Twine 51 



Salt 30 



Seeds 17 



Machinery . 13 



Wood 9 



lytimber 9 



Tile 8 



Cement . 4 



Fencing 3 ^ 



Oil. '^ 3 



Table VII classifies the 173 co-operative elevators reporting on this 

 point according to the proportion of their total receipts derived from sources 

 other than grain and flax. The receipts from these other sources of two 

 fifths of these elevators exceeded 10 per cent, of their total receipts ; those 

 of twerty-three of them exceeded 20 per cent, of their total receipts. 



