The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1918-01-14
URGE GREAT CARE
TOPREVENTSPUDS
FREEZING In CARS
While In TRANSIT
Department of Agriculture
Issues Warning on
Loading of Potatoes

hOGA4l6 Oh Spu0S IA 1AeAAAsAI GA0 S0@
eau OF markets Of the u. S. depart
ment Of agriculture has issued inn
4 portant regulations covering the
preparation and loading Of cars. The
bulletin states that these recon-
mendations apply primarily to cars
of potatoes for relatively long ship
ment in cold weather.
Prevention Of Freezing In Cars.
The following recommendations
are based on preliminary but extern
sive Investigations of factors relat-
| ing to the prevention Of frost dam
age to potatoes in transit The ter
ritory covered has included the
states of Maine, Michigan, Wiscon-
i sin and Minnesota, and the obser-
vations of the investigators have
been supplemented by a large num-
| Der of conferences with shippers
and receivers Of potatoes and the Of
fcials OF railway lines engaged in
the transportation OF potatoes in
those states, although the recommen-
| dations are subject to modification
as the investigation develops. They
embody the best commercial prac-
tices, and IL is believed that IL fol-
lowed they will be instrumental in
eliminating large percentage OF
! the damage at present experienced.
Heated by Stoves in centers.
First: Always use a false door.
This floor must permit air to
circulate freely under the load from
the end of the car to the. heater in
the center so absolutely nothing
I should be permitted to block this
space. The false floor should be
supported and held in place by two
by tours running lenHthwise (never
cross-wise) of the car.
Seconds The floor must be Of
strong enough lumber SO that when
the car is loaded the boards of the
false floor do not sag and thereby
cut off air circulation.
Third: If false side walls are to be
used along the sides OF the car, they
should reach to q point not closer
| than six inches from the roof Of the
car, and yet must extend above the
top of the potatoes. There must be
free opening for air circulation from
the top OF the car at every point
along the sides (and ends also) into
the space between the car wall and
this false side wall thence down the
sides to the space between the false
floor and the car floor.
Fourth: II the weather is not
severe enough to warrant the use OF
the false side walls in refrigerator
and other insulated cars, It. is prob
ably better to paper the car sides so
as to afford some added protection.
Fifth: 1t is also of utmost i'm
portance that there should be an
open and free space for large vol
umes of air to pass from the top Of
the car down at all points at each
end Of the car to the space between
the two floors and thence back to the
heater. 10 accomplish this, false end
walls may have to be built. These
must extend from a point above the
top Of the potatoes and yet not
closer than six inches to the top
of the car down to the false floor.
There must be at all points space
OF not less than four inches between
the car end and the false end wall
The two by fours to support the
false end wallis should never be plac-
ed with the four-inch side fiat. The
two inch space is not sufficient and
the two by fours should be put in so
as to leave the full four inches for
free air circulation.
Sixth: In most refrigerator cars it.
is not necessary to put In a false
end wall. The bunker bullShead US
ually performs all of the duties Of a
false end wall, space being provided
the ice bunker and at the bottom
for IL to pass out under the false
floor
Seventh: Never load the potatoes
in any part of the car so that they
can cut off the free circulation OF
the heated air from the stove up to
the ceiling out over the top Of the
whole car down at the ends and
back under the false floor to the
heater again. This is fundamental
in maintaining a more or less even
temperature in every part OF the car
to prevent freezing of the potatoes
at the floor while at the same time
overheating those at the top.
Eighth: II the potatoes are loaded
less than three feet from the stove
at the center of the car, they should
be protected from the direct heat OF
the stove by sheet of asbestos or
other noncombustible material.
Ninth: Do not waste space. Load
Just as many potatoes into every
car as is consistent with safety.
Box Cars Heated BY Stoves.
Tenth: When loading box cars in
cold weather never fail to- thorough
ly paper the bottom and sides and
ends up to the ceiling, running an ex-
ira strip of paper along the June
the corners. Then put i'm a cbmpletS
lining consisting of false floor side
and end walls. This lining should
be made up of at least one thickness
Of boards and paper as with the false
end walls described, in paragraph
five above. They (both sides and
end walls) should end from the top
Of the false floor to a point above
the potatoes and vet not closer than
six Inches to the roof. At no point
should the space between the false
walls and the car walls be less than
four inches at the ends and two In
ches at the side.
Eleventh; Protect the potatoes
near the stove from direct heat as In
eight preceding.
General Recommendations.
Twelfth: In loading all cars avoid
the possibility OF any potatoes or
sacks working down between the
false lining and the floor and walls
OF the car In refrigerator cars. Par
tieular care. should be used TO pre-
vent them getting into the lower
opening Of the ice bunker, thereby
retarding the free circulation Of air
back to the heater.
Thirteenth: False doors Cor FIRE
ooardsl should be tight and well ftt-
co when used in refrigerator cars.
Always make the false door take the
place of the door at the left as one
faces the car from the outside by
the false door several I'm
ches beyond the center Of the door
sill, and padding this extension with
ourlap. the door on the right may be
closed and a tight Joint made, but do
not nail the false door and other to-
gether, then the latter can be OPEN
ed and the fire tender can get into
The car from either side, an advant-
age that all readily appreciate.
Fourteenth: AS far as possible