pronounced upward turn, beginning with 1915, and in 1918 almost attained the mark of supplying one bushel out of every two exported, outranking all the other grains during that year. Corn shows an up and down trend in the percentages, contributing one bushel out of 61⁄2 in the six year averages, while the average for barley was one bushel out of fourteen, and for rye one out of thirty.

The largest aggregate exports of grain were made from the United States in 1915, when the total reached 444,537,785 bushels, the annual average for the six fiscal years, 1913 to 1918, inclusive, being 275,434,931 bushels. During 1915, 395,552,353 bushels were forwarded to Europe, which was also the maximum year for the shipments to the countries in that group.

U. S. NORTH ATLANTIC PORTS.

The ports of Portland, Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore and Hampton Roads (Newport News) comprise the U. S. North Atlantic ports equipped with grain elevators for the accommodation of export grain. The exact facilities and business of each are hereinafter separately treated, but before passing to the individual ports, it is vital that a picture be obtained of the grain traffic of the group as a whole.

Chart "L" indicates that the aggregate annual average of export grain through the six North Atlantic ports mentioned, during the six calendar years 1913 to 1918, inclusive, was 225,952,000 bushels, equivalent to 5,711,702 short tons, or about 75% of the average total movement through all U. S. ports on the Atlantic, Gulf and Pacific Coasts combined. The heaviest year as disclosed by chart "J" was 1916, when 343,389,000 bushels8,583,826 tons of grain were exported from North Atlantic ports, while 1914 was the lightest year, when 127,224,000 bushels-3,272,611 tons-were forwarded. A summarization of the percentage figures found in charts "J," "K" and "L," to which the statistics for the calendar year 1919 have been added, shows the following relationship between the North Atlantic ports:

over one-third of the traffic, and an average for the seven years observed of a little more than four bushels out of every ten. New York is found in first place throughout the period, and in the averages rests 17.3 points above the next port -Baltimore.

Baltimore succeeded in holding second place during the last septennial period, with the single exception of the year 1919, when it was surpassed by the movement of export grain through Philadelphia. Its high year, relatively, was 1914, when it furnished 35.3 per cent of the entire movement via North Atlantic ports. Rather severe decreases occurred in its proportions in 1918 and 1919, as compared with the earlier years, and in the seven year averages, Baltimore is found turning in one bushel out of a possible four bushels.

Philadelphia started with 7.0 per cent of the group total in 1913, and has climbed almost continuously ever since, reaching its peak in 1919, when the port made up 21.0 per cent of the total, and is lodged just ahead of Baltimore. In the seven year average, Philadelphia's export grain business comprised one bushel out of a possible 71⁄2 bushels.

The proportion of the grain movement using Hampton Roads as a port of exit varied greatly during the last seven years, ranging from 1.4 per cent in 1914 to 20.1 per cent of the group total in 1915, the annual averages for the septennial period being 11.4 per cent, and entitling the port to fourth place.

Boston furnished 7.6 per cent of the total export grain shipped from U. S. North Atlantic ports in 1913, but fell away considerably from 1914 to 1917, inclusive, regaining its pre-war status in 1918 and 1919, when the average annual movement was 7.5 per cent of the grand total.

From 1913 to 1917, inclusive, very little export grain appeared at the port of Portland, Maine, as compared with its neighboring U. S. ports, but its business boomed in 1918 and 1919, when it handled an average of 12.5 per cent of the total for the group; otherwise, one bushel out of a possible eight bushels. This caused Portland to rise dur

seven years, together with the average monthly totals for all the ports combined, are enumerated in Table V.

The relative order of importance of the several months, as gleaned from Table V, is shown in VI. While May, January, December and April were the leading months during the septennial period considered, and in fact, were the only months displaying an average of over twenty million bushels, it is of significance that the movement was substantial during all of the months of the year. During the high month-May-the average handlings were a fraction less than one-fourth of the whole, and for the low month-July-were onesixteenth of the average yearly total.

Held in

228,112,000

100.0

Cars

Per cent

11.1

10.2

11.5

12.6

6.4

9.0

8.1

7.1

5.2

6.1

42.2

43.1

44.8

41.9

38.2

13.2

14.2

19.8

The fact emerges from Table VIII that the working capacity of the export grain elevators in the Port of New York was twice as great as any other port in the group, and was sufficient to accommodate four out of every ten bushels that could have been handled at all North Atlantic ports at the time. Baltimore was second, with capacity enough to take care of one bushel out of every five, with Philadelphia, Portland, Boston and Newport News following along in the order given. Reference to the percentage columns covering stocks in elevators, and receipts at and clear

every ten in storage at U. S. North Atlantic ports; at Baltimore a trifle over one bushel out of every five; at Philadelphia one bushel out of seven; at Portland one bushel out of ten, and at Boston one bushel out of twelve.

Inspection of the preceding table will show that, with the exception of Newport News, which handled none, the receipts of wheat were well scattered among the other ports of the group, New York, Portland and Philadelphia ranking in the order mentioned, and together comprising 73.1 per cent of the total receipts of wheat at the ele

ances from elevators, indicates that the proportions of each port in respect to these features generally parallel the relationships developed for the working capacity. In the case of both receipts and clearances of grain from the elevators, Philadelphia shows some excess over Baltimore, and is the port making the best relative showing during the period considered, on the basis of working capacity.

The proportionate distribution of the stock of various kinds of grain in elevators and storage barges at each of the six North Atlantic ports during a period of recent observation, is given hereunder:

vators. The Port of New York received over six bushels out of every ten bushels of oats, Philadelphia one out of six and Baltimore one out of five. Almost six-tenths of the rye went to New York; three-tenths went to Philadelphia and onetenth to Baltimore. New York obtained seventenths of the export corn, with Baltimore and Philadelphia taking up the balance. What small movement there was of flaxseed, all went to New York.

The percentages shown in Table XI for the quantities of grain of each kind exported from North Atlantic ports naturally bear a direct relationship to those indicated in Table X for the grain

received into the elevators. Philadelphia, Baltimore and Portland forwarded more grain than they received during the period considered, while the

TABLE XI

receipts at New York, Boston and Newport News topped the shipments to a small extent.

The combined average weekly situation for the various grains at all North Atlantic ports, Portland, Maine, to Hampton Roads, inclusive, for the first twelve weeks of 1919, is shown in the subjoined table:

the elevators during that time were 6,005,000 bushels, of which 5,822,000 bushels, or 96.9 per cent, were wheat, and 183,000 bushels, or 3.1 per cent, oats.

Wheat and oats are the only two grains exported in any volume through Portland, and this is borne out by the average weekly figures developed from

The average stock in the elevators, viz.: 19,248,000 bushels, was 85.8 per cent of the total working capacity during the same period of 22,424,000 bushels, which explains in a measure the large amount of grain held in cars for unloading, which averaged 4,836,000 bushels weekly, and was greater than either the average receipts into the elevators, or deliveries to ships.

The average weekly clearances or exports were 3,986,000 bushels, which was 91.9 per cent of the average receipts of 4,319,000 bushels, and 20.6 per cent of the total average stock in the elevators. At that rate, the entire stock in the elevators would be completely turned over once in every five weeks. Wheat is shown in Table XII as making up about one-half of the present export grain traffic of U. S. North Atlantic ports, oats about one-fourth, rye an eighth, and barley an eleventh of the total business, with corn and flaxseed of minor importance.

PORTLAND, MAINE.

This port is the winter outlet of the Grand Trunk Railway, and is utilized for the export of Canadian grain during the season that the St. Lawrence River is frozen over, and the Port of Montreal closed to traffic. This railway company maintains and operates extensive grain storage and transfer facilities consisting of two wooden grain elevators, one, Elevator No. 1, with a rated capacity of 1,000,000 bushels, and the other, Elevator No. 2, of 1,500,000 bushels capacity, the two elevators combined having a rated and working capacity of 2,500,000 bushels. These elevators are adjacent to and connected by conveyor galleries with the three principal overseas wharves of the Grand Trunk Railway, viz.: Atlantic, Ocean and New, and six vessels can be loaded simultaneously.

The total amount of grain received into the elevators at Portland during the twelve weeks' period under consideration.was 5,979,000 bushels, of which 5,783,000 bushels, or 96.7 per cent, represented wheat, and 196,000 bushels, or 3.3 per cent, represented oats. The total exports or clearances from

The aggregate exports of all grain from Portland during the calendar year 1919 were 28,210,000 bushels, or 645,957 short tons. This established a record for the port, as it eclipsed 1918, the previous high year, by 4,007,000 bushels, or 16.5 per cent. Chart "K," Diagram 6, visualizes the volume of Portland's export grain takings during the six calendar years, 1913-1918. It indicates that prior to 1918, this port was not very generously favored with export grain, and received a very small fraction of the total movement via U. S. North Atlantic ports. However, the shipments in 1918 were nearly fourteen times as great as in 1915, and, as above stated, they were even greater in 1919, which has resulted in Portland again becoming a potent factor in the export grain business of North America.

BOSTON, MASS.

The port of Boston possesses three grain elevators assigned to export uses, with an aggregate storage capacity of 2,437,190 bushels, and average working capacity of approximately 2,000,000 bushels. One of the elevators is owned and operated by the Boston & Albany Railroad, and the other two by the Boston & Maine Railroad. A brief description of each is given below:

Boston & Albany elevator at East Boston, Mass. Storage capacity, 1,017,190 bushels; working capacity, 700,000 to 800,000 bushels; rate of unloading from cars to elevator, 15,000 bushels per hour; rate of delivery from elevator to ship, 40.000 bushels an hour. This elevator is connected by conveyor galleries with both sides of Boston & Albany East Boston piers Nos. 2, 3 and 4.

Boston & Maine R. R. Elevator "B," Hoosac Tunnel Docks, Charlestown, Mass. Storage capacity, 1,000,000 bushels; working capacity, 850,000 bushels; rate of unloading from cars to elevator, 8,000 to 10,000 bushels per hour; rate of delivery from elevator to ships, 20,000 to 24,000 bushels per hour. This elevator is connected by belt conveyors with Boston & Maine Hoosac Piers Nos. 40, 41, 42, 43 and 44. The bulk of the grain is loaded into vessels at Piers 40 and 41. During the calendar year 1917, 12,061,000 bushels of grain were received at this elevator and 12,344,000 bushels delivered to vessels.

Boston & Maine "Mystic" elevator, Charlestown, Mass. Storage capacity, 420,000 bushels; working capacity, 350,000 bushels; rate of unloading from cars to elevator, 8,000 bushels per hour; rate of loading from elevator to ships, 6,000 to 12,000 bushels per hour. This elevator is connected by conveyors with Boston & Maine R. R. Mystic Piers Nos. 46, 47, 48, 49 and 50, but most of the grain is shipped from Pier 48.

In addition to the three stationary elevators above mentioned, Boston also has one floating grain elevator, built in 1873, with a capacity of 24,000 bushels.

Wheat and oats constitute the principal grains exported via Boston, with corn and rye showing occasionally, but in minor quantities. The underlying table depicts the average weekly export grain situation at Boston during the first twelve weeks of 1919:

AVERAGE WEEKLY EXPORT GRAIN SITUATION AT BOSTON. TABLE XIV

a

reached total of 2,501,000 bushels, of which 1,952,000 bushels, or 78.1 per cent, was wheat, and 549,000 bushels, or 21.9 per cent, was corn, these comprising the only two grains exported.

The aggregate grain exports via Boston attained greatest importance during the calendar year 1919, as compared with the six years just preceding, when 17,265,000 bushels were forwarded to foreign countries, which represented 7.2 per cent of the total movement via the six North Atlantic ports during that year. This was 3,298,000 bushels, or 23.6 per cent, better than 1918, the year next in importance. Attention is invited to Chart "K," Diagram 5, which reflects the actual and proportionate volume of Boston's grain handlings during the six years, 1913-1918. It indicates that, relatively, the port of Boston made its best showing in 1918, when that port forwarded 7.7 per cent of the total exportations of grain through all North Atlantic ports, from the standpoint of the number of bushels.

The subjoined table indicates the distribution, by varieties of grain, of the major portion of the grain exports from Boston during the fiscal years ended June 30, 1914 and 1918, respectively:

DISTRIBUTION, BY KINDS, OF BOSTON'S GRAIN EXPORTS. TABLE XV

1,093,000 475,000 1,568,000

Cleared from Eleva

tors or Boats

304,000 208,000

Held for Unloading

in Cars

Wheat

The total amount of grain received in elevators or storage barges at Boston during the period under consideration was 3,649,000 bushels, of which wheat comprised 2,805,000 bushels, or 76.9 per cent, while oats made up 842,000 bushels, or 23.0 per cent. The small balance was made up of a thousand bushels each of corn and rye. The grain exports from Boston during the same period

It is apparent that wheat comprises slightly over nine out of every ten bushels of grain exported from Boston during the fiscal year 1914, whereas, oats stood at the top during the fiscal year 1918, with 81⁄2 bushels out of ten. As shown by Table XIV, again wheat attained supremacy in 1919.

NEW YORK.

The elevator facilities at the Port of New York for the accommodation of bulk grain intended for export consist of six elevators, with an aggregate storage capacity of approximately 11,000,000 bushels, which is the greatest capacity afforded by any port in North America, and is 2,228,000 bushels, or 25.4 per cent, in excess of the capacity of the grain elevators at Montreal, which ranks