Show BIG LOSS OF FRUITS AND VEGETABLES IN REFRIGERATOR CARS MAY BE DECREASED a 5 i i M y y I 14 4 4 4 2 T Ty Tb 9 x A r y h b T i s h r s a S yS t 1 t. t Y YS Thousands of Carloads of Perishable Foods Are Arc Crushed and Lost Through Improper Loading Prepared by the United States Department Department Department Depart Depart- ment of Agriculture For every HY thousand persons In the Unit United ell States there Is at least one refrigerator refrigerator re re- re- re car loaded with food products products products prod prod- rolling along the rills rails These cars carry billions of pounds and more than three-fourths three of them haul fruits and vegetables Much 1 of this produce is highly perishable and must be moved quickly while temperatures are kept down by the use of Ice Unless one on one is given to traveling his breakfast fruit or dinner salad is likely likely like like- ly to have covered more miles In a n trip of days than he has in as many months and all the way from field to table perishable fruits and vegetables must be watched over and cared for forby forby forby by a n group of workers who are as ns busy as ns a mother traveling with n a baby in her arms Sometimes refrigerator cars arrive at nt markets with their fruit or vegetables vegetables vegetables vege vege- tables damaged by heat or shifting of loads through faulty containers or diseases diseases dis dis- eases and rots developing during transit This means not only n a loss loss loss' of foodstuffs but Increased prices for forthe forthe forthe the sound produce that arrives on the market market losses losses that In the long run must be borne by wholesaler retailer producer and consumer This Itself is serious enough but according to the bureau of markets of the United States department of agriculture there Is Isa Isn isa a n present shortage of refrigerator cars in this and the more cars that bring dama damaged ed produce to marl market et the fewer available cars curs there are file to carry perishable food to the cities What Can Be Done About It If and this is where science steps in the present equipment of refrigerator tor cars should be modernized and if more care were taken In loading bracIng bracing bracing brac brac- ing and hauling perishables In these modernized cars losses of food would be r reduced and our scanty supply of refrigerator cars made to carry more actual food to market At one large market last July cars of peaches penches were Inspected by the bureau of markets Most of these cars were In trouble as ns the Inspectors sa say and they represented 31 per cent of the total July arrivals at nt that mar mar- ket Although brown rot was bad this year among peaches and accounted account account- ed for tor much loss and sales of as low lowas lowas lowas as ten cents a crate for rotted fruit It is pointed out by refrigerator car carmen carmen men that some of this loss Is due to poor refrigeration which could be avoided by proper construction of cars and better loading and handling meth Estimates based on reports of carlot shipments of fruit and vegetables compiled complied by the bureau of markets show about shipments moving under refrigeration From reports of ot Inspectors at Chicago o Cincinnati and Pittsburgh from May 15 to July 15 covering shipments under refrigeration refrigeration it was found that the average average aver aver- age decay of all commodities was per cent In of these shipments the temperature of the load on arrival was found to vary from 40 to 75 degrees de de- degrees e- e grees Fahrenheit averaging 53 de de- grees These shipments Including GO CO cars of peaches with average decay on arrival of 08 98 per cent 30 cats cars of ot otc c average decay per cent U 0 cars of tomatoes avera average e decay per cent 5 cars of cantaloupes average average aver nver- age decay 84 per cent and G cars of ot strawberries average decay 38 per percent cen cent 1 Decay on arrival does not Include all the deterioration according to Investigators Investigators investigators In In- because many shipments showing a n small percentage of decay arrive overripe and soft owing to imperfect imperfect im Im- perfect refrigeration and these shipments shipments ship ship- ments deteriorate rapidly while In the hands of dealers denIers and consumers But without considering the decay that occurs occurs occurs oc oc- oc- oc curs after the cars are unloaded the percentage of decay In the total number number number num num- ber of cars of ot fruit and vegetables arriving arriving arriving ar ar- ar- ar riving under refrigeration shows an enormous loss of food If the average of per cent decay shown on shipments at Chicago Cincinnati and Pittsburgh last year held at other markets markets markets mar mar- It would mean an annual loss of ot about carloads destroyed In transit or about pounds of fruit and vegetables This loss is only in shipments moving under There is heavy henvy loss also In shipments under ventilation Better Cars Less Loss Experiments on shipping perishables in refrigerator cars have located causes of loss and shown that change In car cal construction will reduce the losses In each ench end of a n refrigerator car are art compartments compartments com com- running from the roof to the floor and known as ns bunkers which are filled with Ice before the car Is loaded There Is a n passage under under un un- un der and around this Ice bunker er and Its Insulated wall out to the floor of the car Air cooled by the Ice Is heavier than warm air and travels downward and out along the floor of the car displacing dis- dis placing the warm air nir above It and thus cooling the load lond Raising the load on open floor racks helps distribute the cold air from th the ice bunkers nail and Increases Increases increases In In- creases air nil circulation which Is necessary nee essary to protect the produce from I damage e. The question of Insulation for the floor ends and sides of the car carIs caris Is also Important and air nit spaces must be provided between the rows of containers containers con con- so that all nil the load lond will be kept cool All these problems and a standard standard stand stanel ard t type pe of refrigerator car has been designed by the department of a agri agri- rl culture Some of these improved cars have been built huilt by the railroad administration administration admin admin- and are giving satisfactory results Improvement ement of ot refrigerator tor cars cannot be depended upon to eliminate all nil of the present enormous loss in handling fruits and vegetables according according ac nc- ac- ac cording to the bureau of markets Farmers can cnn help by more careful I picking grading and packing and shippers shippers shippers ship ship- pers and dealers by more attention to loading and handling fruits and vege vege- tables |