178 



KEPOKT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF AGRICULTURE. 



we extend our view and take into consideration the minor wholesale and 

 the retail trades, our imposing foreign exports sink into comparative 

 insignificance. 



The following table shows the receipts and eastward shipments of 

 flour and grain for the last four calendar years at the following western 

 lake and river ports, viz, Chicago, Milwaukee, Toledo, Detroit, Cleve- 

 land, Saint Louis, Peoria, find Duluth : 



The eastward shipments from these lake and river ports, it will be 

 seen, were larger during 187C than in any Ibrmer year, constituting 

 nearly 80 per cent, of the receipts of the seaboard ports. The remainder 

 is made up of flour and grain from more southern and eastern ports. 

 The shipments of the two previous years bore about the same proportion, 

 those of 1873 being somewhat greater. The western ports shipped 

 to the seaboard ports, in 187G, 87 per cent, of their entire receipts 

 against 85 per cent, in 1875, 77 per cent, in 1874, and 83 per cent, in 

 1873. Of flour during 187G they furnished over half the receipts of the 

 seaboard ports, 80 per cent, of the flour and wheat consolidated; 86J 

 per cent, of the com, 82 per cent, of the oats, and over 50 per cent, of 

 the barley. The eastward shipments of rye were greater than the receipts 

 at the seaboard ports; probably heavy shipments were made too late 

 for acknowledgment during the year at the outports. 



The increased demand for western flour and grain in the markets of 

 the Eastern States is noteworthy in this connection. It is estimated 

 that iJew York alone requires annually about 45,000,000 bushels of 

 grain besides what is raised within her own borders. In the New En- 

 gland States the deficit of home production is still greater, while even 

 in the agricultural States of Pennsylvania and Maryland the bread-crops 

 fall short of the demand upon them. Southern wheat-production is still 

 on too small a scale to meet home necessities, and hence, though some 

 choice brands of flour and wheat are sent to the eastern markets and 

 to Europe, a much greater amount is received from the Northwest. 



In the distribution of this east-bound traffic the changes noted in the 

 annual report of this Department for 1875 continued to operate through 

 1876. The encroachment of rail-routes upon water-routes was still more 

 marked. The competition was very sharp, greatly narrowing the profits 

 of the carrier. From Chicago to New York the rates of lake and canal 

 transport, via Buffalo, during the navigation season of 187C, averaged 

 9.58 cents per bushel for wheat weighing GO pounds per bushel, and 8.8 

 cents for corn weighing 56. Kail-transportation between the same 

 points for grain of all sorts and grades averaged 13.5 cents per bushel 

 from April 26 to May 5, and 12 cents from May 5 to December 18 ; after 



