100 INDIANA HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS 



a new form on purpose for this use. It may be found 

 necessary to put a very light iron hoop around the ends 

 when shipped on a long voyage. Thirdly, the important 

 advantage saved in stowage, in wagon, railroad-car, 

 canal-boat, on shipboard, or in store. Fourthly, not one 

 atom of leakage. Every one who has seen flour carried 

 upon a railroad, is aware that a great many barrels which 

 were made of timber not well seasoned, leak quite an 

 item of the quantity to a starving man. The boxes not 

 admitting leakage, if exposed to rain, would also save an 

 item. Fifthly, these boxes in England, where deal-boards 

 are sold by the pound, would always be worth more than 

 cost, when emptied of their contents, either to work up 

 or to be used as they are for household use; for, by add- 

 ing a pair of butts, there is a good chest or cupboard ; or 

 they would always sell to dry goods or shoe-dealers for 

 packing-boxes. Indeed, the lumber is so cheap in many 

 of the grain-growing districts, that it would be found 

 profitable to sell them after being emptied, in our cities. 

 Sixthly, the absurd old fashion of selling 196 lbs. of flour 

 in a package, would be done away with, and the boxes 

 would always be of exact sizes, holding 50, 100, 200 lbs. 

 &c., and sold by weight. And lastly, what are the objec- 

 tions? Let them be fairly stated and they shall be fairly 

 answered (a).^ But I am at the end of my sheet and yet 

 not half to the end of my story, but it must be deferred. 



Solon Robinson. 

 Crown Point, Indiana, July, 1847. 



'In a footnote, (a), the editor disagreed with Robinson's argu- 

 ment on the following grounds: "1. Economy of timber is not yet 

 an object in this country. 2. They cannot be made so cheap as 

 barrels, as these last are extensively made by hand at 25 cents 

 each; and the introduction of the recently-invented barrel and 

 stave-machines will probably materially further lessen the expense. 

 3. Stowage is no object, as cars, boats, and vessels already stow all 

 the weight they can carrj'^ 4. Leakage with good barrels amounts 

 to nothing, and with poor boxes, would be fully equal to poor 

 barrels. The thin timber used for the former is more quickly and 

 certainly seasoned than the latter. 5. Second-hand barrels are 

 worth as much in proportion to their cost, as second-hand boxes 



