The Aberdeen weekly. [volume] (Aberdeen, Miss.) 1878-1933, 1921-12-30

Warm air weighs less than cool air
! and here lies the basic principle of
/ properly heating box cars in winter
TO protect potato shipments against
frosts that nip into the farmers prof
its as well as into the potatoes. Next
to providing heat, the matter of get
ting 1t to circulate so that it reaches
practically all the potatoes in the car
is of greatest Importance.
The directions for preparing a box
car for potato shipments given here
with are I'm accord with recommends
lions Of the United States Department
of Agriculture, and apply to winter
shipments Of sweet potatoes destined
for northern points, as well as to the
white variety.
Suitable Lining is important.
A stove will warm enough air TO
protect a car of potatoes from freez-
Ing even in severe weather, providing
the car lining is built and kept in such
a condition that the warm air can get
down TO the floor and sides where it
is needed. To accomplish this COM
plete air passage must be formed en-
tirely around the load.
When potatoes are loaded in bulk,
IT is necessary to construct what are
In effect two bins, one on either side
of the central area where the stove
is placed if the shipment is likely
to pass through severe weather. In
many instances, of course, it is en-
tirely safe TO ship without 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 a false floor is laid on
supports running lengthwise, thereby
creating air channels four to six
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 four TO six inches from
the car ends. Likewise, false walls
are built few inches from the sides
and a false door is erected at one side
for a stovepipe to go through.
Bulkheads are put across the car
at either side of the door to form
well for the stove. These walls as
well as the center bulkheads rise we'll
toward the ceiling. The bins are lined
with paper, the same as the car walls.
The false moor supports permit the
cool air to settle below the false floor
and to move toward the base of the |
stove, where It rises as. it Is heated |
and circulates toward the ends of the |
car, between the load and the ceiling. |
rough estimate of the lumber and |
o
36-foot car, with doors feet wide, |
Is as follows:
IS pieces 2 by inches by IA feet.
8 pieces by inches by 16 feet
1900 square feet OF 1-inch lumber, 16 feet.
z,25O square feet of building paper.
The 13 2-by-4's should be sawed in
half, making 26 pieces feet long.
Six inches should be sawed off the
length of each OF the eight 2-by-6
pieces Enough of the 16-foot boards
should be sawed into 9-foot lengths
to make a total width Of 81 feet of
S-fOot boards and other Of these boards
sawed into 6-foot lengths to make a
otal width OF 4 feet. This will leave
/ few 4-foot lengths. One foot should
)e sawed of the remaining 16-foot
boards, leaving them Is feet long
This lumber is all that is required
" an experienced loader to complete
v equip a car with false walls and
,ulkheads. Detailed directions for
cutting up the lining, easily under
TODD, are contained In Farmers Bull
etin 1901 issued by the United States
Department Of Agriculture.
The shipper is cautioned not to load
'otatoes so close to the ceiling that
hey block circulation. There must be
large unobstructed opening for the
warm air to pass down to the floor
fter IL has spread the length of the
eiling from the heater. The circu-
alton is slow and labored, and TO limit
t by piling the sacks so that they ex
end beyond the false walls causes
erious interference. In placing pota-
oes in sacks on the false floor next
o the walls care should be taken TO
ct them a few inches from these par
Itions, since they are in the region
here the frost first becomes effective
the car is not properly heated. /.
Lined Cars Returned to Shippers. {
1t is recognized that preparation of I
le car III lltC 1ltUACdtCO III |
olives a considerable initial expense. | [
sually, however, shippers plan to use a
9th the stove and the lumber for re-
Gated shipments. In Maine cars are G
Iuipped substantially in the way de- c
ribbed and used by shippers repeated :
Z. the cars being returned to the c