1 per car. In New
York, $1 pays all charges. At Chicago, $3 per car has been charged for
the inspection, divided equally between seller and buyer.

PRODUCE MARKETS

Every town of any consequence has its produce market. The South Water
street district in Chicago and the West Washington street market in
New York are noted for their extent and variety. There are also many
special markets for certain classes of produce. Thus Elgin, Chicago
and New York have butter exchanges. Wisconsin, Utica, Watertown and
Cuba (New York) maintain exchanges where cheese is placed on sale each
week during the manufacturing season. There is also a board of trade
for cheese in New York City. The prices quoted upon these exchanges
are made the basis of many transactions between buyer and seller, who
never enter these markets. Not only do buyers and sellers agree to
abide by the quotations of one or the other of these markets, but the
quotations are also used as a basis of settlement for milk furnished
the creamery or factory. These agencies are thus impartial arbiters in
countless financial transactions.

The rate of commission varies in different markets and for different
products. Generally, however, produce is handled on a 5% basis, but
for individual products which are especially bulky and difficult to
handle, such as cabbage, 10% may be charged. In some cases commission
is by quantity instead of on a percentage basis. Thus for potatoes the
commission is sometimes 10% and in other cases 4 or 5 cents a bushel.

LIVE STOCK MARKETS

While poultry and game, as well as the carcasses of the smaller
animals, may be handled through the produce markets, the large animals
require separate facilities. The United States is noted for its large
live stock markets and for the perfection and size of the packing
houses which have grown up about them. The most famous example of
these combined agencies is to be found at Chicago, but important live
stock markets are also maintained at St. Louis, Kansas City, Omaha,
Pittsburgh, Buffalo and more recently Fort Worth, Texas. The
commission charges vary from 50 cents to $1 per head for cattle and
from 10 to 25 cents per head for calves, sheep and hogs. In some
markets, the commission on hogs is 2% of the gross returns. When
located within 150 miles of a central market, it is customary to allow
50 cents per hundred pounds for cattle and 40 cents for hogs to co