110 STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



of two thicknesses of building paper around the end of the drain pipe 

 firmly tying paper to the drain pipe. 



3. The third natural openings are the side doors thru which the cars 

 are loaded. These doors are usually on hinges and when closed ordi- 

 narily effectively shut off transmission of cold and warm air; but most 

 cars are constructed with a steel or iron threshold to protect the bottom 

 sill of the doorway against the continuous wear given this portion of the 

 car during the process of loading and unloading. Steel and iron are 

 conductors of cold and heat. I, therefore, suggest that shippers place 

 two thicknesses of heavy building paper across the bottom third of the 

 closed doors when loading is completed, carefully sealing the edges with 

 lath, allowing them to lap down over the threshold plate. The principal 

 idea is to protect the iron threshold or crevice at the bottom of the doors 

 against direct contact with the cold or cold winds. This should be 

 done to both doors. 



If the three classes of natural openings are protected in this manner, 

 it is unnecessary and, therefore, waste of good materials to paper the 

 walls of the ice bunkers or bunker bulkheads in the ends of the car. 



Durable construction of refrigerator cars is essential; large solid wood 

 sills form the frame to which the floor sides and the ends of the car are 

 fastened. To date no refrigerator car builders have devised a method of 

 completely insulating the sills of the car; therefore, the coldest part of the 

 car is to be found in the lower corners thereof, at the junction of the side 

 walls and the floor. False floors, which elevate the commodity from 

 four to six inches above the floor of the car, are being constructed for 

 j'cfrigerator cars as rapidly as same are built or pass thru the Shops for 

 repair; these false floors, in a measure, overcome freezing of the com- 

 modity adjacent to the floor corners but when cars are passing into 

 temperatures below 20° above Zero I recommend that shippers unroll 

 two thicknesses of building paper the full length of the car and fasten 

 the upper edge of the paper upon the side wall of the car a distance equal 

 to one-half of the width of the building paper, allowing the lower half of 

 the paper to extend out on the floor of the car. This will assist in pro- 

 tecting the commodity against the cold corners. 



Added protection can be afforded by covering the balance of the floor 

 with one thickness of building paper, overlapping the edges one to two 

 inches and tacking a curtain of one width and thickness of building paper 

 on the side walls of the car so that the lower edge of same overlaps the 

 two thicknesses below it about 6 inches. It is unnecessary to paper the 

 side walls of the car higher than three feet from the floor. If you are 

 going to place heaters in the ends of the car, or are going to have the car 

 placed under heater protection West of Chicago, do not paper up the 

 pnds or bunker bulkheads of the car. If the temperature outside is below 

 40° at time of loading I recommend that shippers place a suitable stovo 

 in the car and elevate the temperature inside the car to 40° above zero 

 fluring the process of loading. 



Sacked potatoes should be loaded in a definite manner. A satisfactory 

 system may be arranged by placing six sacks snugly side by side cross- 

 wise of the car, a distance of about one-half the width of a sack away 

 from the bunker bulkheads or end of the car; on top of them place six 

 more sacks with one end against bunker bulkheads or end of the car; 

 then, place three sacks crosswi.se of car on floor in front of the first six; 



