314 HISTORY OF THE GRANGE MOVEMENT; OR, 



third of this vast amount is used for home consumption, 

 and the rest, or about 130,000,000 of bushels, is shipped 

 away to other States and to foreign countries. Exactly 

 how much is exported to Europe depends upon the 

 condition of the harvest in the Old World, but about 

 50,000,000 bushels are annually sent over the ocean. 

 The remainder is sold in the American markets. The 

 New England States are large consumers of Western 

 wheat, requiring about 35,000,000 bushels more than 

 they produce themselves. About 33,000,000 bushels 

 are received in New York, and though some of this is 

 finally exported, the bulk remains in the Empire State. 

 Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Maryland require about 

 5,000,000 bushels more than they produce. The 

 Southern States do not produce all they need, and are 

 consequently large buyers of Western wheat. 



All the surplus of the West, in order to find a mar- 

 ket, must, to some extent, at least, pass over some rail- 

 road. The bulk of the wheat is sent to Chicago and 

 the lake ports and to St. Louis, whence it finds its way 

 during the season of navigation to the Erie Canal at 

 Buffalo and the cities communicating with the canal, 

 thence by the canal to Albany, whence all that is 

 intended for the East and for export is sent to New 

 York or Boston. But the season of navigation occupies 

 only a portion of the year, and during the remainder 

 the grain of the West must find its way eastward over 

 one of the great railways. The cost of transportation 

 to the East eats up about one-half of the value of^the 

 wheat, and the farmer's profit is made small in order 

 that the heavy freights may be paid and the large 

 profits of the middle-men gained. 



But wheat is not the only grain crop that seeks a 



