CLASSIFICATION OF MARKETS 253 



It is seen that in Illinois and South Dakota the greatest movement 

 of the corn crop occurs. The average for the entire United States was 

 21.9 per cent. 



The United States Department of Agriculture has made inquiries 

 concerning the shipment of corn out of counties where grown for the 

 past thirty years. They report that there has been a gradual increase 

 in the portion of the corn crop so handled. Considering the past three 

 decades it is stated that in the eighties 16.9 per cent of the corn crop 

 was shipped out of the counties where grown; in the nineties 19.2 

 per cent; and in the last decade 21.9 per cent of the crop. 



CLASSIFICATION OF MARKETS. 



The markets which distribute the surplus corn of the United States 

 may be classified as (1) primary, (2) terminal, (3) terminal-export, 

 and (4) export. 



A primary market is defined as the first nearby market to which 

 grain can be shipped and which serves as the first market to which 

 grain can come. This does not properly include the country town ele- 

 vators which first receive the grain from the surrounding territory. 

 In the annual report of the Chicago Board of Trade, the following are 

 given as "primary markets" : Chicago, Milwaukee, Minneapolis, 

 Duluth, St. Louis, Toledo, Detroit, Kansas City, Peoria, Omaha, Cin- 

 cinnati and Indianapolis. Grain is inspected at these points. Several 

 of these markets are also terminal markets. 



A terminal market is one which serves as a transfer point for grain 

 which has been received and inspected previously in a primary market. 

 In the Price Current Grain Reporter, a large number of the principal 

 cities are included in the list of terminal markets. Boston is clearly a 

 terminal market because New England shippers send no grain to 

 Boston for inspection. However, Boston is also considered a terminal- 

 export market, for considerable grain is exported from that point. 

 Since very little corn from this country is exported, we are more 

 especially concerned with the initial, primary and terminal markets. 



Grain Elevators. Considering first the small shipping points it was 

 estimated in June, 1914* that there were 16,033 regular grain elevators 

 in the United States. Of this number 6,459 were operated by line 

 companies, 2,033 were operated by farmers and 7,505 by independent 

 companies. 



*Grain Dealer's Journal. 



