The shipping and handling of grain from farm to market was once a very awkward, inefficient process. Grain had to be moved about in sacks, and for longer journeys, it had to be transferred into difficult-to-handle barrels to protect it from the elements. The development of the grain elevator and the loading and unloading methods associated with it streamlined the grain production industry. American Oliver Evans patented a fully automated grain mill in 1785 that used an elevator consisting of an endless chain of buckets. This system was used to move the grain both at the storage elevator and at the mill. Mill operators did not accept Evans's elevator until after 1843 when another American, Joseph Dart, added steam power to it. Since the grain was delivered to large storage bins classified by type and quality, the grain inspectors no longer had to spend time examining every barrel...