Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1920-01-08


ment of Agriculture9
In the big battle which he wages
every winter to destroy portion of t
mankinds food stores, Jack Frost /
finds the careless shipper of potatoes |
an effective ally. Potatoes, sweet and |
white are shipped to market in large |
quantities throughout the cold season |
and demand thorough protection, |
since a touch of frost renders them
practically worthless. While the farm
er himself is not directly responsible
for faulty shipment if he sells to a
dealer who does the loading, he is in a
better position to demand a square
deal if he understands how to protect
winter consfgnments properly. IF the
crop is being marketed on a commits
sion basis the grower is sure to suffer
the brunt of the losses when the frost
gets in effective work.
The directions for preparing box
car for potato shipments given here
with are in accord with recommends
lions of the bureau of markets, and
apply to winter shipments of sweet
potatoes destined for northern points,
as well as to white potatoes
Importance of Circulation.
A stove Will warm enough air to pro-
tect car of potatoes from freezing
even in severe weather, providing the
car lining is built and kept in such
condition that the warm air can get
down to the floor and sides where it
is needed. To accomplish this a COM
plete air passage must be formed en-
tirely around the load When pota-
toes are loaded in bulk it is necessary
| to construct what are In effect two
| bins, one either side of the central
area where the stove is placed, if the
| shipment is likely to pass through Sc
we're weather. In many cases, of
| course, it is entirely safe to ship with
| out artificial heat in the car.
| Before constructing the bins. the
| walls and ceiling of the car itself must
| be covered with building paper Fol
| lowing this false floor is laid on sup
| ports running lengthwfse, thereby ere
| ating air channels 4 to inches deep,
| extending beneath the false floor from
| the center of the car to either end
| where they connect with vertical air
| passages formed by false walls built 4
| to inches from the car ends. Likewise,
false walls are built few inches from
| the sides and false door is erected
| at side for stovepipe. Bulk
heads are put across the car at either
| side of the door to form q we'll for the
stove These walls, as we'll as the cen
ter bulkheads, rise well toward the
ceiling. The bins are lined with pa
per, the same the car walls. The
false floor supports permit the cool air
to settle below the false floor and to
move toward the base of the stove
where 1T rises as it is heated and cir
culates towards the end of the car
| between the load and the ceiling.
Material Needed for Lining.
A rough estimate of the lumber and
paper required to line an by S1z b,
Sc foot car, with doors feet wide, 1.
as follows:
pieces by inches BY Is 4 4ss Tee ieB Ions
isoo square feet Of finch lumber.
1850 square feet of building paper
The 13 "two-by-fours'' should b
sawed In half, making 26 pieces fee
long Six inches should be sawed OF
| the length OF each of the eight by
inch pieces Enough of the 16-foo
boards should be sawed into Sfoo
lengths to make a total width of 5
feet OF S-foot boards, and other Q
these boards sawed into 6-foot length
to make a total width Of 4 feet Thi
will leave few 4foot lengths. On
foot should be sawed of the remainin
16-foot boards. leaving them 10 fee
long. This lumber Is all that is n
quired By an sspeHenced loader I
completely equip a car with false wal
and bulkheads- Detailed direction
easily understood, are contained
United States department Of agrfcu
ture-
Proper Placing of Load.
The shipper OF potatoes must Z
member that they should not be 1oadt
close enough to the ceiling to b1ot
circulation There must be lare
unobstructed opening for the war
air to pass down to the floor after
has spread the length OF the ceiliI
from the heater The circulation
slow and labored. and to limit it
pfling the sacks SO they extend beyol
the false walls causes serious Int
ference. In placing the sacks on {
false floor next to the walls. ca
should be taken to set them II
inches from these partitions. sin