12 BULLETIN 558, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 
Grain Dealers’ National Association has adopted uniform trade rules 
_ and a standard form of contract, while many of the terminal markets 
have similar regulations. To avoid misunderstandings, both buyer 
and seller should insist on the exchange of written agreements clearly 
setting forth the terms of sale. 
CONSIGNMENTS. 
When the grain is consigned to a commission merchant at some 
terminal market it is, in accordance with the shipper’s wishes, either 
sold by the merchant upon arrival or stored in an elevator or held 
in cars pending further instructions. After final disposition the 
commission merchant renders an account sale, which sets forth the 
gross amount received for the car, amount of his commission (usually 
from. one-half to 1 cent per bushel, varying with the market and va- 
riety of grain), freight charges, and weighing and inspection fees, to- 
gether with the interest on any money advanced on the shipment. In 
some markets there are still other charges, such as switching or eleva- 
tor fees, in case the grain has to be cleaned, dried, or stored. Any bal- 
ance due the shipper not covered by amount of draft advanced is 
then remitted. 
RELATIVE USE OF METHODS. 
From information obtained from various elevators in the surplus- 
grain States of the Middle West during the year 1915, it appears that 
approximately 50 per cent of the grain received was sold on track; 
29 per cent to arrive; and 21 per cent consigned. In Minnesota and 
the other grain States of the Northwest nearly all of the shipments 
from the elevators reporting were consigned, while in States east of 
the Mississippi over 75 per cent was sold on track, the remainder 
being about equally divided between sales to arrive and consign- 
ments. In Texas and Oklahoma over 50 per cent was sold to arrive 
and most of the remainder was sold on track, these States consign- 
ing very little. The proportion consigned as compared with the 
amount sold on track or to arrive increased with great regularity 
from the eastern and southern portion of the grain belt toward the 
Northwest. Experience and observation show that these propor- 
tions will vary somewhat each year in accordance with the condi- 
tion of the crop, a larger proportion being consigned when the 
quality is poor than when good. This is due to the fact that when 
the quality is generally poor a car of good grain frequently is sold 
at an exceptional premium, while it is impossible to tell what a poor 
quality is worth by description and a better price can usually be ob- 
tained by consigning it to a large market, where all classes of buyers 
will have an opportunity for examination before bidding for it. 
PLACE OF SALE. 
Usually consignments are made either to commission merchants 
at terminal points or to small market brokers, the latter ultimately 
a 
es 
a 
hf 
. 
