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BULLETIN L206, U. s. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 
LOADING HAMPERS. 
Hampers should not be loaded more than three high, as illustrated 
in Figure 12. The first layer should be loaded on ends, reversed, 
and should extend from end to end of the ear, filling the floor space. 
Other layers should be loaded in the same manner, tops against tops 
and bottoms against bottoms. If there are not enough hampers in 
the top layer to fill the entire space, all the top layer should be loaded 
on the side, with ends reversed, or enough of them should be loaded 
on the side to form a brace for those standing on ends. Bracing with 
strips is not necessary, but when the floor space is not completely 
filled the load should be braced in the center as described on page 129. 
The number of hampers loaded in a car by southern shippers ranges 
from 500 to 700, the usual load being about 600. In the northeastern 
section the number loaded ranges from 300 to 380. 
Fig. 12.— Method of loading bushel hampers in a 36-foot ear. Tops are against tops and bottoms against 
bottoms. 
LOADING BASKETS. 
The plan of loading round-stave bushel baskets, whiclris shown in 
Figure 13, is known as the five-five offset method and is recommended 
for cars that exceed 8 feet 4 inches in width. The first basket should 
be placed snugly in one corner of the car and the layer of five should 
be so arranged that the fifth basket is within 9 inches of the other 
side of the car. The next layer in the stack should start from the 
opposite side of the car offsetting the fifth basket in the bottom layer. 
(By offsetting is meant that baskets in an upper layer rest on the 
edges of two baskets in a lower layer.) The stack should be built 
to its full height, three or four baskets high; tops should be up; and 
handles should be in the same relative positions. 
Each succeeding stack should be loaded by placing baskets against 
one side of the car and then against the opposite side, as illustrated 
in the floor plan. Loading should be from the ends toward the door- 
way, and when the floor space is not completely filled the load should 
be braced as described on page 29. Any additional baskets should 
be placed in rows along one side of the car with covers up, handles 
lengthwise of the car, and a rope passed through the handles from 
end to end of the car. The number of baskets loaded ranges from 
330 to 500. 
Door 
/•'/ (jorP/an 
/i'/u/ View 
le. i I Floor and diagrams shoving the five-five offsel method <>f loading round stave baskets. 
This method is recommended for cars \\ inch exceed s feet l inches in w idth. 
