For use in garrison, as well as in the field, each company should be provided with facilities for car- rying the ration. It will be found convenient to have a ration box of outside dimensions which will just admit of its being placed in the rear end of an army wagon, which is about 40 inches wide. The follow- ing is a description of a ration box which has been found by actual service to answer all requirements (see plate 18) : Its outside dimensions over all are 3S^ by 38|- by 30 inches deep. It is made of white pine 1 inch thick and doubled or re-enforced for 3 inches at top and bottom ; the edges should be dovetailed, the corners strengthened with angle iron and braces, and the sides provided with suitable handles. The interior, as shown in plan, is divided by vertical par- titions, which extend to within 8 inches of the top. Exactly flush with the tops of these partitions, and extending around the interior of the larger com- partment, are strips a, b, c, which support a square false lid of good 1-inch hard wood a little smaller than the inside dimensions of the box, and in the edges of which hand-holes are cut as shown in plan. This false lid may be used as a bread board, a chop- ping board, and for a variety of other purposes. The real top or lid is secured by three strong hinges, and provided with suitable lock and key. The space between the real and false lids is used for carrying fresh bread for the first camp, and smaller utensils, dishcloths, etc. Such a box will weigh about 180 pounds, and will hold, in ration sacks to be described later, 1,000 rations each of sugar, coffee, salt, soap, and pepper ; 200 rations of beans, a 10-pound can of lard, and 25 pounds of flour — the latter to be used in making- gravies. For field use, ration sacks of strong drilling or ticking with permanent ties, should also be provided. 248 MANUAL FOR ARMY COOKS. Each ration sack should be marked in solid black indelible letters with the name of the article which it is to hold, and should ordinarily be large enough to contain 10 days' supply for the company of the component of the ration to be carried therein. As soon as an original package is opened the con- tents should be transferred to its particular sack. When wagon transportation is used, these sacks with their contents can be placed in their appro- priate compartments in the ration box. When packs are used, an additional covering of gunny sack will be required. When ordered for field service, and rations have been drawn, the first care must be to pack every- thing with the greatest possible care. Each side of bacon or piece of meat should be wrapjDed in several sacks. Coffee, sugar, salt, beans, rice, etc., except that which is carried in the ration box, should be double sacked. Matches should be kept in closed tin box^es, or in wide-mouth bottles, and well corked, so that no dampness can reach them. Candles should be wrapped up and placed in a candle box, or in a compartment of the mess box, to prevent their being broken. Cases containing pej^per and yeast powder should be opened and the contents carefully repacked Avitli hay or straw, so as to prevent the cans from bein shaken open and their contents spilled. Flour and vegetables should be double sacked and sacks securely sewed or tied. Boxes of hard bread require no special attention.

AI-modernized reading of the original text

For use in garrison, as well as in the field, each company should be provided with facilities for carrying the ration. It will be found convenient to have a ration box of outside dimensions which will just admit of its being placed in the rear end of an army wagon, which is about 40 inches wide. The following is a description of a ration box which has been found by actual service to answer all requirements (see plate 18) : Its outside dimensions over all are 38 by 38½ by 30 inches deep. It is made of white pine 1 inch thick and doubled or re-enforced for 3 inches at top and bottom ; the edges should be dovetailed, the corners strengthened with angle iron and braces, and the sides provided with suitable handles. The interior, as shown in plan, is divided by vertical partitions, which extend to within 8 inches of the top. Exactly flush with the tops of these partitions, and extending around the interior of the larger compartment, are strips a, b, c, which support a square false lid of good 1-inch hard wood a little smaller than the inside dimensions of the box, and in the edges of which hand-holes are cut as shown in plan. This false lid may be used as a bread board, a chopping board, and for a variety of other purposes. The real top or lid is secured by three strong hinges, and provided with suitable lock and key. The space between the real and false lids is used for carrying fresh bread for the first camp, and smaller utensils, dishcloths, etc. Such a box will weigh about 180 pounds, and will hold, in ration sacks to be described later, 1,000 rations each of sugar, coffee, salt, soap, and pepper ; 200 rations of beans, a 10-pound can of lard, and 25 pounds of flour — the latter to be used in making gravies. For field use, ration sacks of strong drilling or ticking with permanent ties, should also be provided. Each ration sack should be marked in solid black indelible letters with the name of the article which it is to hold, and should ordinarily be large enough to contain 10 days' supply for the company of the component of the ration to be carried therein. As soon as an original package is opened the contents should be transferred to its particular sack. When wagon transportation is used, these sacks with their contents can be placed in their appropriate compartments in the ration box. When packs are used, an additional covering of gunny sack will be required. When ordered for field service, and rations have been drawn, the first care must be to pack everything with the greatest possible care. Each side of bacon or piece of meat should be wrapped in several sacks. Coffee, sugar, salt, beans, rice, etc., except that which is carried in the ration box, should be double sacked. Matches should be kept in closed tin box^es, or in wide-mouth bottles, and well corked, so that no dampness can reach them. Candles should be wrapped up and placed in a candle box, or in a compartment of the mess box, to prevent their being broken. Cases containing pepper and yeast powder should be opened and the contents carefully repacked with hay or straw, so as to prevent the cans from being shaken open and their contents spilled. Flour and vegetables should be double sacked and sacks securely sewed or tied. Boxes of hard bread require no special attention.

Manual for army cooks