200 



REPORT OF THE C02-IMISSI0NER OP AGRICULTURE. 



the price of wheat, and the shrinking of the margin of manufacturing 

 profit caused the mills to reduce their product. The same causes 

 operated to reduce the amount shii:)ped directly from country mills by 

 Saint Louis dealers. The stock on hand January 1, 1876, and left over 

 from 1875, was 161,880 barrels, making the "whole amount handled 

 during the year 2,929,854 barrels. Of the shipments, 2,217,578 barrels 

 ■vN'ere direct from the city and 254,596 barrels from country points, as 

 before stated; 319,898 barrels were taken for city consumption, leaving 

 on hand, December 31, 137,782 barrels. Of the shipments, 1,205,129 bar- 

 rels were sent southward, against 1,410,680 in 1875, and 978,689 eastward, 

 against 1,006,475 the previous year ; down-river steamers took 768,304 

 barrels and up-river steamers 46,881. The heaviest railroad shipment^ 

 by the Indianapolis and Saint Louis Eailroad, was 368,980 barrels, an 

 aggregate nearly equaled by the Saint Louis, Iron Mountain and South- 

 ern, and by the Chicago, Alton and Saint Louis Eoad. In spite of the 

 diminution in receipts and manufactures, the trade was unusually satis- 

 factory both to millers and traders. The reduction is believed to be 

 only temporary, while the business has been placed on a more profitable 

 basis than in former years. An increased manufacture in years to come 

 is confidently predicted. 



The total amount of flour handled by Saint Louis millers and dealers 

 during the last eight years was as follows : 



The stocks of flour left in store at the close of each of the last eleven 

 years were as follows: 1866, 53,678 barrels; 1867, 52,690 barrels; 1868, 

 51,686 barrels ; 1809, 70,321 barrels ; 1870, 88,126 barrels ; 1871, 151,083 

 barrels ; 1872, 132,302 barrels ; 1873, 58,848 barrels ; 1874, 117,261 bar- 

 rels ; 1875, 161,880 barrels ; 1870, 137,782 barrels. 



The.se figures show that while the operations in flour have not very 

 greatly varied in volume, the amount manufactured has steadily 

 increased. Over tv.o-thirds of the wheat received at Saint Louis is 

 ground by her own mills. She still retains unimpaired her ascendency 

 as the greatest flour-manufacturing center in the world. 



The prices of flour were remarkably uniform during the year. Winter 

 family opened at $6.50 to §7.50, and closed the year about the same, reach- 

 ing a maximum of 87 to $8 in April, and failing to $6 ® $6.85 in Sep- 

 tember. Extra opened at $4.25 *© $4.50 and closed at $4.60 <3) $5.10. 

 It fell to $3.10 ® $3.90 in June, and rose gradually to its maximum at 

 the close of the year. 



Wheat. — The trade in wheat shows a marked increase, the receipts 

 during 1876 being 8,037,574 bushels, against 7,004,205 bushels in 1875. 

 Saint Louis merchants also shipped direct from country points 64,350 

 bushels. There were left over from 1875 772,866 bushels, making a total 

 handled during the year of 8,874,790 bushels. Of this aggregate, 

 2,030,007 bushels were shipped direct to other points, 64,350 bushels 

 from points outside the city, and 5,609,477 bushels ground by the city 



