The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1918-06-08
PROPER LOADING
TO AVOID WASTE
Greater Care on Part of Shippers
in Packing PerishabIe Pro-
duce Is Urged.
HEAVIER LOADS ARE CARRIED
Heavy Demands on Railroads Due to
War Conditions Have Increased
Difficulties In Handling Fruits
and Vegetables.

1t Is not enough to select, grade, and
pack perishable produce carefully; 1t
must be properly loaded In the cars to
prevent food waste. Many thousands
OF pounds Of fruits and vegetables that
were not properly loaded In freight
cars arrive at large market centers In
such condition that they must be re-
packed and sold at low prices, while
some cargoes are practically ruined
from shifting and lack of ventilation In
transit.
But the loss is not borne entirely by
the producer and shipper, for today,
with the nation mt war, every freight
car must haul more cargo, and i'm
proper loading, which wastes food, also
wastes car space, because cars loaded
carelessly do not serve the nations
needs.
Carry Heavier Loads.
Reports from railroads and shippers
show that under the stress of car short
age freight cars have been carrying
heavier loads than in the past, and In
some cases maximum safe loading has
been worked out for certain crops.
The department of agriculture and the
railroads are endeavoring to educate
shippers to the necessity for proper
spacing, arrangement, and bracing of
loads In cars to prevent injury In tran
sit.
Shipments Of carefully graded pro-
duce, such as peaches, pvt up In good
hampers have been received at market
In such condition that they had to be
repncked before they could be sold,
many hampers being so broken that
the loss Of fruit was great. All this
because the hampers were not prop
erly spaced and braced In the cars.
Even when loads are braced prop
erly and arrive intact, inattention to
requirements Of refrigeration and ven
tilation often results In great losses
through mold and decay. Efficient
loading of perishables prohibits put
ting so much In. car as to result In
such losses. The limit Of safety must
be adhered to even though there Is
danger through car shortage Of not be-
ing able to ship the entire crop. II
cars are properly loaded with open
spaces between packages and an ample
air passage beneath floor racks, the
maximum weight of carloads may be
greatly increased, with less danger
from loss than with light loads put
In the cars indifferently. Very perish
able produce, such as cherries. peaches,
pears, and plums, being shipped under
refrigeration, need special attention In
this regard. since fruit loaded within
two feet Of the roof does not receive
proper refrigeration, and unless this
space Is open the remainder Of the
load is In danger through inadequate
circulation Of air to and from the Ice.
Standard Ventilation.
Produce that can be shipped safely
under standard ventilation" events
open. without ice) may be loaded near
the roof with less danger than produce
that requires fee. But safe shipment
Of such produce requires air spaces
above, between, and below the pack
ages. so that cool. fresh air entering
the open vents may reach all parts Of
the ,lond, otherwise the lstent heat Of
the produce, together with the heat
So.