Heavy Loading of Freight Cars in the Transportation of Northwestern Apples H. J. RAMSEY Pomologist, Preservation of Fruits and Vegetables in Transit and Storage UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE BUREAU OF MARKETS CHARLES J. BRAND, Chief Markets Doc. 13 Washington, D. C. Issued July 15, 1918 SUMMARY OWING to a serious car shortage, amounting to over 5,000 refrigerator cars prior to December 15, it was neces- sary during 1917 to load much heavier than during any previous season and to ship a considerable portion of the Northwestern apple crop in box cars. Temperatures are maintained about 5° lower in carloads of apples under refrigeration having five layers of boxes than in cars having six layers. The higher temperature shortens the storage and market life of the fruit. The temperatures of heavy and light loads are nearly the same when shipped under ventilation. When emergency demands heavy loading it should be done during the season of ventilated shipments. Closing refrigerator car ventilators during the day, or when outside temperatures are high, gives lower and more uniform temperatures than standard ventilation. More than a third of the box car shipments in 1917 were consigned to markets in Eastern States. Box cars should not be loaded with fruit subject to long-distance shipment. Careless loading of Western apples during the season of 1917 caused an average breakage of 50 boxes per car in shipments to New York City. More secure car stripping and better bracing are required. The severity of 1917 shipping troubles was intensified by disregarding indicated conditions. Car supply information and tonnage estimates should be coordinated by the shippers in advance of the shipping season for the best regulation of loading and shipping. Heavy Loading of Freight Cars in the Transportation of Northwestern Apples CONTENTS Page Conditions in 1917 - 3 Temperatures in heavy loads 5 Handling heavy loads under ventilation 7 Fluctuating temperatures in box cars 7 Condition upon market arrival 9 Page Excessive breakage caused by poor loading methods 9 Relation of heavy loading to distribution 13 Methods of shipping during 1917 season 13 Recommendations .. 19 CONDITIONS IN 1917 GREAT INCREASES in the production of apples in the North- western States coupled with critical car shortages seriously handicapped the efforts of the shippers and carriers to transport and market the Northwestern apple crop efficiently during the season of 1917-18. From a production of 14,775 carloads of apples in 1912 in the States of Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and Montana, shipments increased to more than 22,800 carloads for the season 1917-18. Various far-reaching causes resulted in an unprecendented national car shortage. This affected the available supply of refrigerator cars to the extent that during the week of November 9-15, 1917, carriers were able to supply but 423 refrigerator cars at shipping points where the minimum requirements for that week were 1,064 refrigerator cars, each loaded with 756 boxes. While this week marked the most acute stage of the car shortage for the season, its severity existed from October 12 to the end of the calendar year, resulting in the loading of 2,290 box cars in the principal shipping districts during this period. The average load in these box cars was 891.4 boxes. Further than this, the heavier loading of refrigerator cars, brought about by urgent appeals from many sources, resulted in raising their normal load of 630 boxes to an average of 763.1 during the period of heaviest move- ment (October 5 to December 15). On a basis of 665 boxes as a satisfactory carload, this shows that there was an actual shortage of 4,162 refrigerator cars up to December 15 in handling about half of the crop. These conditions, anticipated by the Department of Agriculture, demanded that information be secured during the shipping season that would show how heavily refrigerator cars may be loaded for the safe shipment of apples, the best methods for handling such loads, and to what extent box cars may be safely used for this movement. Heavy Loading of Northwestern Apples Heavy Loading of Northwestern Apples 5 S It II x 5 II 'I i 5 C S I S -t £ s £ « a 5 1. ll SJ Heavy Loading of Northwestern Apples HANDLING HEAVY LOADS UNDER VENTILATION Under standard ventilation the car ventilators are left open both day and night, unless the outside temperatures become dangerously low, regardless of how warm it becomes during the day. Under controlled ventilation, the ventilators are closed when the outside temperatures become higher than those of the fruit. When shipped under ventilation there is no great difference in temperature between cars heavily loaded and those with normal loads. This is illustrated in figure 2. Under ventilation the range in temperature between the top and bottom layers is less than under refrigeration, but the tempera- ture of the load as a whole is not likely to be as low as when it is shipped under refrigeration unless the ventilated shipment passes through outside temperatures ranging below 40°. This is illustrated in figure 3, wherein comparision is made between the average fruit temperatures in heavy loads under standard refrigeration, standard ventilation and controlled ventilation. Great advantage is found in controlled ventilation over standard ventilation, since lower and more uniform temperatures are maintained where cars have ventilators closed when the outside temperatures are high. FLUCTUATING TEMPERATURES IN BOX CARS Temperature records of fruit shipped in box cars offered very con- clusive evidence of the unsuitability of this type of equipment for apple shipments from the Northwest. Figure 4 shows the striking fluctuation in fruit temperatures under the influence of the changes in the outside air temperature. This chart also shows how little one or two ply of building paper protects the fruit from outside tempera- ture changes. The box car has no provision for ventilation and offers neither protection from heat during the warm fall weather nor from freezing during a cold period, and is not suitable for long-distance shipments of apples. Various methods of temporary insulation and heating were provided for box cars by shippers during the latter part of the shipping season. Figure 6 shows three methods of providing temporary insulation. Car B with an inner wall space 6 inches from the car wall filled with shavings gave the best results. The inner wall held the shavings in place, whereas in the car where the shavings were separated from the fruit load by building paper only the shavings settled somewhat and part of the top became uncovered. The eel-grass quilt offered a protection approximating that of the shavings for short periods of cold weather owing to the very efficient manner in which it was applied. These cars were subjected to a temperature of 13° below zero for a few hours with but slight frost damage on the floor. Heavy Loading of Northwestern Apples Heavy Loading of Northwestern Apples 9 Various other temporary insulation materials and methods have been used, such as straw in place of shavings, building paper, and a combination of paper sheathing and air spaces. All temporary insula- tion of box cars is expensive and provides uncertain protection. In heating box cars the best results are obtained by placing the stove in the center of the car and providing an air passage about the fruit inside the temporary insulation. It is especially important that provision be made at the floor and at the ends of the load for the circulation of the heated air. CONDITION UPON MARKET ARRIVAL Inspections were made during the shipping season in Minneapolis, Chicago, and New York, to determine the effect of heavy loading upon the fruit and upon the condition of the packages when unloaded. The Minneapolis and Chicago inspections indicated no apparent injury to the fruit when loaded six boxes high, but serious shifting and breakage was reported. Of 27 box cars inspected, six were frozen, and one was overripe. Cars loaded through the center with- out bracing were subject to freezing about the doors. Out of 86 cars inspected, 17 loads had shifted, 10 of them because of poor and insufficient car stripping. Loading on 2" x 4" or 2" x 2" strips resulted in damage, as the boxes tilted or slipped off of the strips. The New York inspections constitute a more comprehensive test on account of the accumulated effect of the longer period in transit. The average time in transit for the 58 cars from the State of Wash- ington was 24.3 days; six cars from California, 20.8 days; nine cars from Idaho, 19 days; seven cars from Oregon, 20.3 days. Out of 66 refrigerator cars inspected, nine arrived with contents overripe, seven of these cars were loaded six boxes high, with Jonathan, Winter Banana, and Spitzenberg varieties shipped under ventilation late in the season. Since the temperatures in transit (fig. 2) are very nearly the same in heavy and light loads shipped under ventilation, the over- ripeness found cannot be attributed to overloading. Nine out of the 14 box cars inspected contained fruit overripe: one had been frozen. EXCESSIVE BREAKAGE CAUSED BY POOR LOADING METHODS The additional journey from Chicago to New York resulted in an increased breakage which presents striking evidence in support of the Chicago-Minneapolis report and emphasizes the fact that better methods must be used in carloading, especially with heavy loads and box cars. In the 80 cars inspected, an average of 50 broken boxes per car was found. This breakage was much greater in the heavy j loads than in the light loads, and was greater in the box cars than in the refrigerator cars. (See fig. 5.) 10 Heavy Loading of Northwestern Apples « 2 •g.sz jhs l'«o sl*r l«i i s>.s BlS s 5 £ '§B 2 5 — » S ^ J3 '3 "o S 3 tn i S"S.tJ O 4) K Heavy Loading of Northwestern Apples 1 1 Careless carloading of apples is responsible for the annual breakage of thousands of boxes. Often but a car strip on one end of a box is used on the third and top layers and these are lightly nailed. While broken boxes are coopered at destination and sold, the cost of cooper- ing, the low prices received, and the resulting decay of the apples from bruises aggregate a tremendous annual loss. Fifty-six of the eighty loads inspected in New York had shifted, 51 because of poor or insufficient stripping, the others because of poor bracing. Shifting as a result of poor stripping is to one side of the car, causing a gap into which the loosened boxes tumble, effecting a jumbled load and broken boxes. Car strips running full length across the car do not possess great advantage over lath used as strips, if the latter are used in sufficient quantity and are well nailed in proper position. BROKEN BOXES NEW YORK CITY INSPECTIONS NUMBER BROKEN PER CAR IN BOX CARS 59 1 IN REFRIGERATOR CARS 48 1 IN HEAVY _., LOADS 54| IN LIGHT LOADS Fio. 5. — Average number of broken boxes found in eighty carloads of apples from the Pacific Coast upon arrival in New York City. The continual weaving movement of the car in motion has a twisting effect upon the boxes beneath the strips. Several days of this action, combined with vertical vibration, or "jumping," together with sudden end-thrusts, when stopping or shunting, work the nails out of the top strips. With the top layer released, the lower strips also work loose, whereupon the whole load shifts to one side or the other. By tight squeezing and bracing, and by secure stripping, this movement of the boxes may be decreased so that the heavier nails recommended in the top stripping will stay in place sufficiently long to allow delivery of the car without shifting of the load. 14 Heavy Loading of Northwestern Apples TABLE 1. — Recapitulation of northwestern carlol shipments of apples. [August 15 to December 15, 1917.] WEEK. EAST. WEST. TOTAL. Refriger- ator. Box. Refriger- ator. Box. Refriger- ator. Box. Aug. 15-30: 1 700 700 5 3,468 693.6 7 4,593 21 13,443 22 14,143 640 10 6,505 650.5 13 8,666 642.8 15 9,973 664.8 20 13,259 Sept. 1-6: 1 630 630 1 630 630 Sent. 7-13: Number of boxes 656.1 16 10,670 666.9 44 29,626 673.3 183 130,116 666.6 17 11,187 662.9 33 21,857 Sept. 14-20: 658 61 39,800 652.4 198 133,627 662.3 105 69,426 661.2 381 263,743 Sept. 21-27: 1 630 630 1 630 630 Sept. 28-Oct. 4: 711 585 404,662 691.7 682 498,1138 731.1 553 438,062 792.1 303 243,043 802.1 295 247,819 840.1 241 200,383 831.4 264 223,415 846.2 423 335,983 794.3 386 312,403 809.3 244 192,556 789.1 4,232 3,276,137 774.1 6748 517 347,293 671.7 639 439,654 688 521 37,461.4 719.0 239 183,583 768 179 141,049 787.9 182 143.493 788.4 198 160,355 809.8 331 267,660 808.6 294 238,477 811.1 238 188,001 789.9 3,658 2,697,407 737.2 692.2 1,102 751,955 682.3 1,321 938,292 710.2 1,074 812,676 756.6 542 426,626 787.1 474 388,868 820.3 423 343,876 812.9 462 383,770 830.6 754 603,643 800.5 680 550,880 810.1 482 380,557 789.5 7,890 5,973,544 757.1 Oct. 5-11: 1 752 752 97 79.7JO 821.6 136 120,072 882.8 93 88,903 955.9 133 131.054 985.6 190 171,346 901.8 147 138,139 939.7 42 40,426 962.5 1 686 686 3 2,293 764.3 845 774,631 916.7 2 1.321 660.5 72 59,241 822.7 118 102.840 871.5 222 195,010 878.4 308 279,344 906.9 335 289,128 863.0 259 222,359 858.5 101 91,128 902.2 22 20,404 927.4 6 5,934 989 1.445 1,260.543 872.3 3 2,073 691 163 138,941 822.1 254 222,912 877.6 315 283,913 901.3 441 410.398 930.6 525 460,474 877 406 360,498 887.9 143 131,554 919.9 23 21,090 917 9 8,227 914.1 2.290 2,041,340 891.4 Number of boxes Oct. 12-18: Nymher of rars Number of boxes Average load _ . Oct. 19-25: Nnmlw»r of rj»rs Average load . - .- Oct. 26-Nov. 1 : Number of cars Number of boxes Average load -- Nov. 2-8: N umber of cars Number of boxes Average load Nov. 9-15: N(imh«r of cars Number of boxes Average load Nov. 16-22: Number of cars Average load Nov. 23-29: Number of cars . . Average load _ - . . _ Nov. 30-Dec. 7: Number of cars Average load . Dec. 8-15: Number of boxes Average load .. Total for season: Total number of cars — Total number of boxes . _ Grand total: Total number of cars. August 15 to December 15 10,180 Total number of boxes, August 15 to December 15 8,014,884 Average load in all cars, August 15 to December 15 787.3 Heavy Loading of Northwestern Apples 15 TABLE 2. — Wenatchee District, Washington: Summary of carlot shipments of apples from Wenatchee and Northern Columbia shipping points. [August 15 to December 15, 1917.] WEEK. EAST. WEST. TOTAL. Refriger- ator. Ven- tilated. Box. Refriger- ator. Ven- tilated. Box. Refriger- ator and ventilated. Box. Aug. 15-30: Number of cars-. Number of boxes 1 700 700 3,468 693.6 6 3,928 654.6 ' 11 7,149 649.9 31 21,019 678 91 67,804 745.1 181 128,503 709.9 217 165,087 760.7 156 120,633 773.3 58 47,053 . 811.2 154 132,734 862.9 92 81,104 881.5 128 112,690 8S0.4 243 199T579 82^3 230 188,208 818.3 89 70,072 787.3 1,693 1,349,731 797.2 13 8,413 647 4 2,690 1 522 522 15 9,635 642.3 9 6,158 Sept. 1-7: Number of boxes Average load Sept. 7-13: Number of cars._ Number of boxes Average load Sept. 14-20: Number of cars - Number of boxes Average load Sept. 21-27: Number of cars. _ Number of boxes Average load Sept. 28-Oct. 4: Number of cars.- Number of boxes 672.5 9 6,097 677.6 6 3,770 628.3 18 11,223 623.5 25 16,608 664.3 50 34,036 680.7 63 46,717 741.5 37 28,956 782.5 15 12,282 818.8 53 44,066 831.6 41 34,438 839.9 50 43,005 860.1 106 87,119 821.8 76 61,796 813.1 88 55,144 810.9 634 496,360 -782.9 684.2 17 11,334 2 1,309 654.5 3 2,180 726.6 13 8,970 690 77 52,928 687.3 96 69,492 723.8 83 62,156 748.8 62 49,442 797.4 45 35,769 794.8 16 13,458 841.1 666.7 22 14,481 2 1,382 691 7 4,606 658 39 27,004 699.3 146 106,041 726.3 171 130,981 765.8 154 119,455 775.6 112 92,183 823 49 41,489 846.5 1 866 866 658.2 69 45,818 664 232 164,344 708.5 473 338,072 714.7 534 404,941 758.3 409 318,486 766.4 230 187,287 814.3 272 231,747 852 134 116,408 868.7 178 155,695 874.7 349 286,698 821.4 306 250,004 817 157 125,216 797.5 3,406 2,666,324 782.8 Oct 5-11: Number of cars. . Number of boxes Average load Oct. 12-18: Number of cars.- N umber of boxes Average load Oct. 19-25: Number of cars.- Number of boxes Average load Oct. 26-Nov. 1: Number of cars_- N umber of boxes Average load Nov. 2-8: Number of cars.. N umber of boxes Average load Nov. 9-15: Number of cars-- N umber of boxes Average load Nov. 16-22: Number of cars.- N umber of boxes Average load Nov. 23-29: Number of cars.- N umber of boxes Average load Nov. 30-Dec. 7: Number of cars-- N umber of boxes Average load Dec. 8-15: 1 752 752 95 78,388 825.1 134 118.350 883.2 74 71,470 965.8 100 102,276 1,022.7 101 93,725 928 117 109,992 940.1 31 30,228 975 1 686 686 3 2,293 764.3 657 608,160 925.6 2 1,321 660.5 69 '56,811 823.3 107 92,973 868.9 95 88,307 928.4 105 99,229 945 113 103,463 915.6 82 73,044 890.8 32 27,600 862.5 8 6,387 798.4 3 2,073 691 164 135,199 824.4 241 211,323 876.8 169 159,777 945.4 205 201,505 982.9 214 197,188 921.4 199 t83,036 919.8 63 57,828 917.9 9 7,073 785.9 3 2,293 764.3 1,270 1,157,295 911.3 Number of boxes Total for season: Total number of 681 524,007 769.4 398 296,226 744.2 613 549,135 895.8 Total number of Average load Grand total: Total number of cars, August 15 tg December 15 4,676 Total number of boxes, August 15 to December 15 3,823,819 Average load in all cars, August 15 to December 15 817.7 16 Heavy Loading of Nor I h western Apples TABLE 3. — Yakima District, Washington: Summary of carlot shipments of apples from Yakima Valley shipping points. [August 15 to December 15, 1917.] WEEK. EAST. WEST. TOTAL. Refriger- ator Box. Refriger- ator. Box. Refriger- ator. Box. Aug. 15-30: Number of cars 7 4,508 7 4,508 Number of boxes Average load- 644 6 3,815 635.8 2 1,260 644 6 3,815 635.8 3 1,925 Sept. 1-6: N umber of cars. . 1 630 630 1 630 630 Number of boxes . Average load Sept. 7-13: Number of cars 1 665 665 3 2,139 Number of boxes .. Average load _. 630 8 5,237 641.6 11 7 376 Sept. 14-20: Number of cars .». Number of boxes Average load 713 6 4,001 666.8 35 23,519 654.6 30 19,607 653.5 96 64,091 670.5 36 23,608 655.7 131 87 610 S.-pt. 21-27: Number of cars 1 630 630 1 630 630 N umber of boxes - Average load . Sept. 28-Oct. 4: Number of cars Number of boxes . Average load 672 211 136,645 647.6 238 157,681 662.5 179 147,025 821.3 84 63,310 753.7 38 28,766 757 75 58,920 785.6 54 43,583 807 110 78,846 716.7 105 83,140 791.8 45 35,493 788.7 1,184 863,733 729.5 667.6 334 218,653 654.6 419 278,286 664.1 355 246,579 736 141 104,269 739.4 80 60,107 751.3 90 69,761 775.1 95 76,244 • 802.5 171 136,887 800.5 178 145,482 817.3 113 86,556 765.9 2,125 ,521,342 715.9 668.7 545 355,298 651.9 657 435,967 663.5 534 393,604 737 225 167,579 744.7 118 88.873 753.1 165 128,681 779.8 149 119,827 804.2 281 215,733 767.7 283 228,622 807.8 158 122,049 772.4 3,309 2,385,075 720.7 Oct. 5-11: Number of cars Number of boxes Average load-.. Oct. 12-18: Number of cars 2 1,312 656 2 1.722 861 7 5,677 811 16 13,898 868.6 43 34,925 812.2 27 25,635 949.4 9 8,382 931.3 1 756 756 7 6,049 864.1 111 92,336 831.8 150 132,517 883.4 154 124,101 805.8 142 119,209 839.5 52 47,670 916.7 8 7,882 986 6 5,934 989 631 536,454 850.1 3 2,068 689.3 9 7,771 863.4 118 98,013 830.6 166 146,415 882 197 159,026 807.7 169 144,844 857 61 56,052 918.8 8 7,882 985.2 6 5,934 989 739 629,265 851.5 Number of boxes Average load Oct. 19-25: Number of cars Number of boxes Average load Oct. 26-Nov. 1: Number of cars . Number of boxes Average load Nov. 2-8: Number of cars. . Number of boxes _ Average load >Jov. 9-15: Number of cars Number of boxes Vverage load - - -. 16-22: umber of cars imber of boxes wage load "1-29: •'ir of cars r of boxes. . load ' cars boxes 1... s 38 ••.ars 38 108 92,811 859.3 er of cars, August 15 to Dacsmbar 15 ?r of baxes, August 15 to December 15.. J in all cars, August 15 to December 15. 4,042 3,314,340 745.7 Heavy Loading of Northwestern Apples 17 even though some varieties have qualities that enable them to stand abuse longer than others. It follows that when radically diversified methods are employed with cars moving through identical climatic con- ditions, some of the fruit is subject to undesirable shipping conditions. Table 1 shows that heavy loading of refrigerator cars was not universally begun until the week of October 19 to 25, and that the heaviest loading occurred during the week of November 16 to 22, when the average carload was 830.6 boxes. This was five weeks after the heaviest movement under ventilation and well into the TABLE 4. — Hood River District, Oregon: Summary of carlot shipments of apples from Hood Hirer shipping points, [August 15 to December 15, 1917.] WEEK. EAST. WEST. TOTAL. Refriger- ator. Box. Refriger- ator. Box. Refriger- ator. Box. Oct. 13-Oct. 4: 18 11,789 18 11,789 654.9 23 17,260 654.9 29 21,824 Oct. 5-11: 6 4,564 Number of hmcfis 750.4 50 40,515 760.6 27 19,373 752.5 77 59,888 Oct. 12-18: Number of boxes 810.3 50 41,764 717.5 29 21,697 777.7 79 63,461 Oct. 19-25: 835.2 30 25,699 856.6 29 24,704 851.8 28 23,887 853.1 58 47,747 823.2 44 36,373 748.1 12 10,092 841 5 4,121 824.2 11 8,902 809.2 17 13,738 808.1 10 8,430 843 11 8,534 775.8 17 13,481 803 42 35,791 852.1 34 28,825 847.7 39 32,789 840.7 75 61,485 819.7 54 44.S03 829.6 28 21,850 780 107 84,451 Oct. 26-Nov. 1: 12 11,756 979.6 12 10,338 861.5 38 35,467 933.3 2 1,704 852 3 2,922 974 28 25,181 899.3 30 24,527 817.5 28 24,004 857.2 12 10,802 900 3 2,863 954.3 15 14,678 978.5 40 35,519 887.9 68 59,994 882.2 30 25,708 856.9 12 10,802 900.1 3 2,863 954.3 Number of boxes _ Nov. 2-8: Number of cars Number of boxes Average load _ _ Nov. 9-15: Number of cars Number of boxes Average load Nov. 16-22: Number of cars Number of boxes _. Nov. 23-29: 826.6 17 13,316 Nov. 30-Dec. 6: 783.2 90 70,970 Dec. 7-15: 788.5 437 354,024 810.1 793 145 112,932 778.8 789.2 582 466,956 802.3 Total for season: Total number of cars — Total number of boxes. . 64 59,265 926 104 90,29!) 868.2 168 149.564 890. Grand total: Total number of cars, August 15 to December 15 — Total number of boxes, August 15 to December 15- Average load in all cars, August 15 to December 15- 750 016,520 822 18 Heavy Loading of Northwestern Apples season when heating precautions should have been taken. The best treatment of the apples would have been for the heaviest loads to move under ventilation. Box cars were not extensively used until the week of October 12 to 18 and their greatest use was during the week of November 9 to 15, when 525 were shipped. Out of 10,180 carloads, shipped from the Northwest, 2,290 loads were shipped in box cars, more than 845 of which had destinations in Eastern States. Comparing the weekly shipments from different districts, a wide variation is found in the weight of the loads in different shfpping localities. During the week of October 12 to 18, the average refriger- TABLE 5. — Western Oregon District: Summary of carlol shipments of apples from Medford, Grants Pass, Gold Will, Voorhies, Dallas, and Ashland. [August 15 to December 15, 1917.] WEEK. EAST. WEST. TOTAL. Refriger- ator. Box. Refriger- ator. Box. Refriger- ator. Box. Oct. 5-11: 9 6,582 3 2,181 12 8,763 730.2 12 9,057 754.7 10 6,962 696.2 18 13,341 741.1 13 10,198 784.4 35 26,758 764.5 14 10,990 785 35 27,431 783.7 38 29,646 780.1 31 26,059 840.6 218 169,205 776.1 731.3 2 1,470 727 10 7,587 758.7 7 4,946 706.5 7 5,074 725 6 4,871 811.8 18 13,962 757.6 8 6,085 760.6 16 12.246 765.3 9 6,333 703.6 15 13,062 Oct. 12-18: 2 .1,674 837 3 2,393 798 2 1,674 837 8 6,168 771 5 5,175 1,035 4 3,182 795.5 2 1,956 978 3 3,272 1,091 2 1,674 837 3 2,393 797.6 2 1,674 837 8 6,168 771 5 5,175 1,035 4 3,182 795.5 3 2,764 921.3 3 3,272 1,090.6 - 735 3 2,016 Oct. 19-25: Number of boxes 672 11 8,267 Oct. 26?Nov. 1: Number of boxes 751.5 7 5,327 Nov. 2-8: Number of boxes Average load 761 17 12,796 Nov. 9-15: Number of boxes Average load 752.7 6 4,905 Nov. 16-22: Number of boxes Average load 817.5 19 15,185 799.2 29 23,313 Nov. 23-29: Number of cars 1 808 Nov. 30-Deo. 6: Number of boxes 803.8 16 12,997 Dec. 7-15: 812.3 119 92,858 789.3 . 870.8 99 76,347 771.1 Total for season: Total number of cars Total number of boxes. . Average load 1 808 •29 25,494 879.1 30 26,302 876.7 Grand total: Total number of cars, August 15 to December 15 — Total number of boxes, August 15 to December 15-. Average load in all cars, August 15 to December 15. 248 195,507 788.3 Heavy Loading of Northwestern Apples 19 ator carloads were as follows: Hood River, 777.7 boxes; Wenatchee, 758.3 boxes; Western Oregon, 754.7 boxes; Eastern Washington. 693.6 boxes, and Yakima, 663.5 boxes. Local storage facilities and competitive transportation conditions to some extent regulate heavy loading activities in different districts. RECOMMENDATIONS The following recommendations are based upon the investigations that have been made, as well as upon the results of methods used in commercial practice so far as these have proved efficient and of such practical value as to warrant their wider application. TABLE 6. — Eastern District, Washington, Oregon, and Idaho: Summary of carlot shipments of apples from Walla Walla, Lewiston, Milton, Freewater, Mosier, Taggard, and Dufur. [August 15 to December 15, 1917.] WEEK. EAST. WEST. TOTAL. Refriger- ator. Box. Refriger- ator. Box. Refriger- ator. Box. Oct. 5-11: Number of cars 15 9,631 28 18,567 43 27,998 Average load 642 4 2 904 656 37 25,535 651.1 41 28,439 Oct. 12-18: Number of rars 726 11 7,969 690.1 31 22,994 741.7 19 16,097 847.2 19 14,326 754 22 16,430 746.8 28 21,283 760.1 28 22,978 820.6 20 16,332 816.6 25 19,758 693.6 42 30,963 737.2 27 22,628 838 37 29.125 787.1 50 39,240 784.8 46 35,773 777.7 35 28,978 827.9 25 20,758 830.3 29 22,782 Oct. 19-25: 1 1,425 1,425 11 9,771 888.2 17 16,249 955.8 33 31,862 965.5 3 2,920 973.3 3 3.100 1,033.3 1 1,425 1,425 11 9,771 888.2 22 20,791 945 41 39,091 953.4 4 3,728 932 4 4,108 1,027 Number of boxes Average load.. 724.4 8 6,531 Oct. 26-Nov. 1: Number of cars Number of boxes Average load 816.4 18 14,799 821.0 28 22,810 814.6 18 14,490 805 7 6,000 857.1 5 4,420 885.2 4 3,024 Nov. 2-8: Number of cars 5 4,5i2 908.4 8 7,229 903.6 1 808 808 1 1.008 1,008 N umber of boxes - Average load - Nov. 9-15: Number of cars Number of boxes Average load Nov. 16-22: Numh«r nf cars Number of boxes Average load Nov. 23-29: Number of cars Number of boxes Average load. Nov. 30-Dec. 6: Number of cars Number of boxes Dec. 7-15: • 756 118 92,584 784.6 790.3 257 194,100 755.2 785.6 375 286,684 764.5 Total lor season: Total number of cars Total number of boxes. - Average load.. 15 13,587 905.8 68 65,327 960.6 83 78,914 950.7 Grand total: Total number of cars, August 15 to December 15 — 458 Total number of boxes, August 15 to December 15 365,598 Average load in all cars, August 15 to December 15 798.2 Heavy Loading of Northwestern Apples 21 LOADING The loading of refrigerator cars with apples nearer the ceiling than 18 inches is not recommended as a standard practice. Early long-distance shipments should move under refrigeration and ordinarily should not be loaded more than five boxes high. These shipments should include the September and early October movement of such varieties as Grimes, Jonathan, Winter Banana, Mclntosh, Delicious, and Spitzenberg. By using 3 to 4 per cent salt with the ice at the time of loading, such carloads may be increased, under emergency demands, to six layers, but in no case should salt be used unless properly constructed floor racks are provided and the fruit next to the ice bunker is pro- tected from freezing by an insulated bulkhead or temporary insulating material so placed as to provide ample openings at the floor and ceiling to permit free air circulation to and from the ice bunker. When emergency necessitates increased loading, ventilated ship- ments, rather than those moving under refrigeration or heat, should be loaded heavily. STRIPPING AND BRACING The following rules should be put into effect at every loading platform : (1) Inspect bunker bulkheads and insure rigidity before loading, by bracing those likely to work loose. (2) Clean out the cars beneath the floor racks before loading. (3) Use floor racks having not less than 4-inch supports running lengthwise of the car. Do not load boxes on temporary strips, as they are of no importance in applying heat and often tilt or allow the boxes to slip off, resulting in a jumbled load and breakage. (4) Place boxes an even distance apart, keep them in even stacks across the car, and have each box shoved firmly back to prevent slack. (5) Use two car strips per box on the second, fourth, and top layers of boxes in each stack. Have each strip extend to the walls of the car. Use No. 6 cement-coated nails in the top strips, two nails per box in each strip. On lower strips use at least one nail per box in each strip. (6) When loading the doorway full, squeeze the load well with a car squeeze before placing the final stack of fruit, and take up all slack with dunnage. Allow sufficient space above the load in the doorway for the entrance of inspectors. (7) Brace tightly with good lumber, using construction with strength equivalent to that shown in figure 8. Controlled ventilation maintains lower and more even fruit tempera- tures than standard ventilation. (See fig. 3.) It is recommended that ventilation practices be established that will effect the prompt opening and closing of ventilators by competent employees, in order 22 Heavy Loading of Northwestern Apples that full advantage may be taken of favorable outside temperatures for maintaining desirable and uniform fruit temperatures. Until adequate service in this respect is established by the carriers it is believed desirable that the shippers extend the messenger service that they have provided for protection against freezing for the purpose of regulating ventilation of cars in transit. CAR BRACING TO CEILING l»6 UPRIGHTS CROSS SUPPORT BRACINGS FIG. 8. — Diagram showing required strength and proper construction of car bracing for carloads of boxed apples. The load should be kept tight when placing boxes and should be well squeezed with bracings made of sound lumber. j ,. , nr A 001 104052 4 Heavy Loading of Nort..*^,^ THE USE OF BOX CARS IN EMERGENCIES Box cars are not suitable for long-distance fruit shipments, and their use for transporting perishable food products should be restricted, in so far as practicable, to short-haul shipments. Tables 1 to 6 and the diagram in figure 7 show that during 1917 the supply of cars at hand in the Northwest was not used to the best advantage. Heavy loading was not practiced extensively until the car shortage was actually felt. Instead of loading cars heaviest when shipments were moving under ventilation, this was not done until several weeks after the normal season for ventilated shipments. Box cars were not utilized until the supply of refrigerator cars was practically exhausted, with their greatest use coming after favorable weather conditions were past. They were then used indiscriminately for all shipments, whether consigned to markets in adjoining States, or to those on the Atlantic seaboard. It is recommended that shippers and carriers, through their repre- sentatives, meet periodically to compare the tonnage to be moved with the apparent car supply. When conditions apprehend the necessity for heavy loading or for the use of unsuitable equipment, such as box cars, as was the case in 1917, it would then be possible to effect heavy loading when shipping under ventilation rather than wait for the shortage to be actually visible, and box cars would be utilized over the entire season, but only for such fruit as ordinarily reaches a nearby market. The best regulation of loading and shipping cannot be made effective if the carriers and shippers work independently.