GRAIN CARGOES 
[3] 
rule is 1:46 cubic feet per bushel, or +7 bushel per cubic 
foot, giving 11-7 cubic feet per quarter. 
GRAIN IMPORTS. 
Grain imports may be handled in a variety of ways, if 
they form small part cargoes or parcels, but dealing with 
them in bulk, they are almost entirely handled, either by 
the bucket elevator and conveyor band, or by the pneumatic 
tube or suction apparatus. The former method is dis- 
tinctly the more economical in power consumption, and is 
very generally in vogue, yet the latter has so much in its 
favour that, despite its higher cost, it is becoming recognised 
as in many respects the superior process. Improvements 
in design and experimental investigation have done much to 
reduce the working cost, and further developments in the 
future will, no doubt, increase its economy and efficiency. 
THE BUCKET ELEVATOR. 
Bucket elevators consist essentially of an endless chain 
of buckets following an elliptical path, set vertically. They 
are loaded at the foot, or boot, of the elevator and discharge 
at the top-—the whole process being automatic. For port 
and dock work, they are set in frames, which may either be 
housed at the quay edge or mounted on barges. The frames 
are fitted with derrick supports and suspension gear to enable 
them to be projected forward and set into a ship’s hatchway. 
Though cheaper to construct and requiring less power for 
driving, the bucket elevator labours under the disadvantage 
of entailing a considerable amount of auxiliary manual 
service in shovelling or ploughing the grain towards the boot 
of the uptake. This work may be necessary for as much 
as 70 or 80 per cent. of the consignment, and involves the 
employment of a special gang of men for the purpose, thus 
adding very considerably to the cost of handling. As it is 
impracticable to do trimming with a ship’s winch at a 
higher average rate than about 8o tons per hour, this very 
materially limits the output of the bucket machine.