64 ESSAYS ON WHEAT 



The passage of wheat through a terminal elevator is by 

 far the cheapest and most efficient means of taking it from 

 the box cars and getting it on board a lake freight-boat, for 

 loading simply consists of letting the wheat out from a 

 shipping bin through a spout so that it flows by its own 

 weight into the hold. The rapidity with which the cargo 

 boats can be loaded from a terminal elevator is truly as- 

 tonishing. The average loading run to any boat is about 

 30,000 bushels an hour ; but the record speed for loading at 

 the head of the lakes is 200,000 bushels in one hour and 

 fifty-five minutes. 



There are thirteen terminal elevators at Port Arthur 

 and Fort William, one at Vancouver and one at the 

 Hudson Bay. In addition there are four so-called interior 

 terminal elevators. These are situated on the prairie far 

 from any lake or ocean port, at Transcona (near Winni- 

 peg), Calgary, Saskatoon, and Moosejaw. The Trans- 

 cona elevator was built by the Canadian Pacific Railway 

 to give reserve storage and so relieve the pressure in the 

 elevators at the lake front when such relief is needed. 

 It also serves to supply part of the grain milled between 

 Transcona and the lake front. The terminal elevators at 

 Calgary, Saskatoon, and Moosejaw have been erected 

 by the Government, not to take the place of the lake term- 

 inal elevators for grain being shipped east but with a 

 view to supplying the needs of the Hudson Bay and 

 Panama routes when these come to be used. At the same 

 time, they bring the work of inspection somewhat nearer 

 the grain-growing area, give additional storage capacity 

 in times of emergency, and provide useful hospital ap- 

 paratus for drying wheat damaged by rain or snow be- 

 fore it is sent on a long railway journey to the lake 

 front.22 



22 Cf. Robert Magill, loc. cit., pp. 54-56. 



