278 THE WHEAT INDUSTRY 



the thresherman hires his own help so that he 

 thus operates a crew. He then engages to go into 

 a man's field, gather the shocked grain, thresh it, 

 and deliver it to the wagon at a stated price per 

 bushel. The men of the outfit are generally well 

 paid, $2.00 to $3.00 per day with board and 

 lodging being the customary wage. A cook wagon 

 or tent is in this case a part of the regular equip- 

 ment. 



Because of the abundance and cheapness of 

 straw as a fuel, straw-burning engines are often 

 used for power. An expense is added, however, 

 since, when straw burners are used, one man is 

 kept busy firing the engine. 



When the grain is threshed, the separator de- 

 livers it into large wagons, sometimes called wheat 

 tanks, which hold 125 to 140 bushels. The wheat 

 is than hauled direct to the local elevator and 

 shipped to market. There is very little local 

 storage either in farm granaries or in sacks in 

 local warehouses. 



Marketing the Crop. - - In the years following 

 1900, development of wheat .territory was more 

 that of railway facilities. This re- 



^ 



sulted in serious losses since no adequate provi- 

 sion existed for local storage. Wheat was left on 

 the ground in large piles beside the railroad tracks 

 awaiting cars for shipment, and the delay was often 

 so great that large quantities were damaged. In 



