The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1918-07-04
FEEDING CITIES
IS Big PROBLEM
Study of Some Things Which At
feet Final Delivery of Food
to Consumer.
QUESTION OF RAPID TRANSIT
Fresh Meats and Other Perishable
Products From Farms Must Be
Speeded Up at Every Stage
Delay Means S~hrinkage.

One of the fundamental factors in
the problem of feeding towns and cit
les is that of transportation. Since
city dwellers are so dependent upon
transportation for their foodstuffs, 1t
may be interesting to study some OF
the things which affect the final deliy-
err of food and especially meats to the
consumer.
Transportation difficulties begin with
the stock raiser, whether he is a
rancher in the West, a corn belt farm
er or other agriculturist who produces
live stock for food. In the early days,
before our railroads were in existence
or before they were the principal
factors in getting stock to market,
cattle, hogs and sheep had to be
driven or hauled long distances to
reach a selling point or a point from
which they could be shipped by boat
or rail. This was a very expensive
way of moving stock; it not only took
a long time but the loss of animals
and the loss of flesh by these animals
was also considerable, even though the
values per pound were very little COM
pared with today.
Troubles of Stock Grower.
The first trouble the stock grower
or dealer today has in getting his
stock to market is to get to a railroad
point to ship his animals to one OF
the various large stockyards to be
sold. Bad roads, adverse weather I'M
perhaps a long drive or haul to the
shipping point all affect the length of
time required; then there may be a
temporary shortage Of cars and stock
must be held in the railroad stock
yards and fed until cars are provided.
Once loaded into cars, however, there
is a special effort made to get to the
market in the shortest possible time.
Delay means abnormal ~Shrinkage; II
the cars are on the road SO hours the
stock must be unloaded for feed and
water; or the market may drop sud-
denly; hence the necessity for speed.
Shipping Fresh Meats.
In order to ship fresh meats sue
cessfully they must be thoroughly
chilled before loading and then trans
ported in refrigerator cars, especially
during the warmer weather, although
this practice is followed the year
round. These cars have ice tanks at
each end, which are filled with Ice
and a percentage of salt and the car
chilled to about 35 to 38 degrees Fab
renheit. Also they r provided with
ventilating or circulating systems In
order to keep the temperature in all
parts of the car as nearly uniform as
possible. In making long shipments.
and especially during the warmer
months, it Is necessary to ice the car
one or more times en- route to keep
the temperature as low and as con-
slant as possible. Even then on
account of bad weather, wrecks or
any other condition that causes undue
delay, the meat may not be in first
class condition on its arrival at the
destination and must therefore be sold
quickly ever at some sacrifice in price.
Speed Is Essential.
Speed is vital from the time the
stock leaves the producers hands I'M
til it reaches the packer and from the
time the product, fresh meat, leaves
the packing house until it reaches the