5«2 



MAIZE 



CHAP. 

 XII. 



537. Payment to Farmers. — In the United States it is 

 customary to pay the farmer for his grain as soon as it has 

 been delivered, weighed, classified and graded at the warehouse. 

 The price paid is usually slightly below the ruling market 

 rates. But the farmer is generally anxious to realize on his 

 crop, as soon as it is threshed, so that he can pay his rent or 

 other debts, or turn the money into stock for fattening. 

 Immediate payment relieves him of much trouble and anxiety ; 

 as soon as he is paid, his control over the grain ceases 

 (Downie). 



Fig. 197. — Loading trucks, Vereeniging. 



538. Trucking in Bags and in Bulk. — The principal 

 advantage of the bag system of handling grain is that it enables 

 the railway administrations to turn to account their whole 

 freight rolling-stock, to handle a rush of grain to the coast. 

 For handling bagged grain any size or shape of truck can be 

 used (Fig. 197), whereas a stock of special types of truck would 

 be required to handle the bulk trade and thus involve a large 

 additional capital outlay for rolling-stock. On the American 

 railways covered box-trucks, specially designed for the pur- 

 pose, are used for conveying grain in bulk. These vary in 

 capacity from 20 to 50 tons (i.e. 200 to 500 bags). To fill a 

 truck, the grain is drawn from the bottom of the elevator bin 



