22 BULLETIN 664, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 
invariably so stowed that shifting of the load had occurred during 
transit. Later on, when the investigators saw to it that the load was 
rigid, the results given in Table 11 were obtained. When shifting 
in this load does take place the three crosswise cases on alternate 
layers at the bunker are likely to fall down into the space, not only 
becoming crushed themselves but by grinding injuring other cases. 
The rigidity of the load depends largely upon the character of the 
buffing and the manner in which it is placed in the car; hence it 
assumes an important role in preventing damage. The methods 
used by the investigators, in order to make observations upon loads 
buffed with either straw or wood (pp. 6 and 7), emphasize the neces- 
sity of packing the buffing so tightly that shifting can not take 
place. Unfortunately many shippers have failed to realize the easily 
compressible character of straw, to which fact is due much of the 
damage prevailing in straw-buffed cars (Pl. VIII, fig. 1). For 
example, out of 27 straw-buffed carlots studied during the early 
part of the investigation 18 showed serious damage or displaced cases 
on arrival at destination, simply because the straw had not been 
packed tightly enough. 
During the survey of commercial practices made in the early part 
of this investigation it was observed that a relatively large number 
of carloads of eggs buffed with wooden frames arrived at destination 
in good condition. This was because the load was tighter and had 
shifted little, if at all, as it did when loosely buffed with straw. 
Observations were made on a number of carlots that had been 
packed with straw at the bunkers, and the load then made tight by 
frames at the middle. These also commonly arrived in good order. 
A comparison of the damage observed in well stowed cars, buffed 
with straw, with that in well stowed cars, buffed with wood, shows 
a small margin (about 1.5 eggs per case) in favor of the straw, as 
may be seen by comparing the typical shipments listed in Table 12. 
TABLE 12.—Comparison of damage in straw- and wood-buffed cars. 
Straw-buffed cars. W ood-buffed ears. 
D d ie d 
Experi- BUmeeG Hixperi- aeEe 
= eggs per eggs per 
ment No. eer ment No. ERG, 
5130 3.0 - | 5102 5.5 
5118 3.5 5103 6.5 
5120 3.0 5104 3.0 
5132 5.0 5105 4.0 
5181 3.5 5140 6.0 
5173 2.0 5146 3.5 
5127 2.5 5148 5.0 
5129 4.5 5172 5. 0 
The amount of damage given in Table 12 is, of course, the average 
for all parts of the car. Reference to the discussion of the damage 
