FLOUR THE FORM IN WHICH TO SELL WHEAT. 37 



THE PROFITS OF MILLING. 



THIRD The large profits of milling and making and 

 packing flour, by which many large fortunes are acquired, 

 will be retained and accumulated at home, affording at- 

 tractive investments for a large amount of capital. Of the 

 one hundred and forty million bushels surplus of 1878, 

 perhaps as much as eighty million to one hundred million 

 bushels were exported in the shape of whole wheat ; 

 that would make about twenty-five million barrels of 

 flour, and at a casual guess it is safe to say that, includ- 

 ing bran and shorts, the profits on milling that quantity 

 of wheat would be one dollar per barrel, which would 

 make the snug sum of twenty-five million dollars saved 

 at liome by grinding all of it into flour before exporting ; 

 no matter whether the figures are precisely correct or 

 not, they illustrate the proposition and point the argu- 

 ment all the same. 



INCIDENTAL BENEFITS. 



FOURTH Considerable saving in freights and insur- 

 ance would be made, and less trouble in handling, as a 

 mass of wheat, when reduced to the shape of well-packed 

 flour, occupies less room, is liable to less risk, and can 

 be more pleasantly handled than its equivalent as whole 

 wheat. For instance, twenty-five million barrels of flour 

 will not cost as much freight and insurance for transport 

 from Chicago to New York, or from Baltimore to Liver- 

 pool, as would the quantity of wheat, one hundred mil- 

 lion bushels, required to make it ; consequently, the 

 difference would be so much saving to be added to the 

 profits at the point of shipping or milling. For these 

 and other reasons, as much as possible of wheat should 

 be made into flour before exporting, or even before being 

 sent from the county where grown. 



