96 THE WHEAT INDUSTRY 



found that some small town elevators would show 

 by their records that they had in storage four or 

 five times their capacity, while an investigation 

 would disclose the fact that most of the bins were 

 empty. The farmers held certificates stating that 

 they had stored a certain number of bushels. They 

 could sell at any time, a possibility which then 

 meant that they could exchange their wheat cer- 

 tificates for cash on demand based on current 

 wheat prices. This has been called wheat bank- 

 ing. It shows how country roads, wheat crops, 

 and farm and elevator storage are intimately 

 linked with business operations and reach into 

 numerous channels of trade. 



QUESTIONS AND EXERCISES 



1. Why are wheat stacks in most cases built in the field 

 rather than in the farmyard ? 



2. Describe loading the wheat at the thresher. 



3. What are the advantages of handling the wheat in 

 bulk instead of in sacks ? 



4. Suggest conditions which make it preferable to sack 

 the wheat. 



5. Under what conditions are farmers most likely to 

 sell their wheat as soon as threshed ? 



6. Why are granaries usually not numerous in newly 

 settled wheat regions ? 



7. What are some advantages of sheet steel granaries ? 



8. How do the conditions of the roads affect farm 

 storage of wheat ? 



