The recent discussion on the size of cracker barrels took me to a document
of mine that might shed some light on this question.  It is a printed
invoice form dated January 31, 1862 from the "CONFECTIONARY, FINE CAKE &
STEAM BISCUIT BAKERY" of Philadelphia owned by M.E. Steward on 1216 Market
Street in Philadelphia.  A framed vignette on the left of the printed
billhead lists the products as:
|------------+-----------|
|            |           |
| Water      | Crackers  |
|------------+-----------|
|            |           |
| Boston     | ditto     |
|------------+-----------|
|            |           |
|Farina      |ditto      |
|------------+-----------|
|            |           |
| Picnic     | ditto     |
|------------+-----------|
|            |           |
| Soda       | Biscuit   |
|------------+-----------|
|            |           |
| Sugar      | ditto     |
|------------+-----------|
|            |           |
| Arrow Root | ditto     |
|------------+-----------|
|            |           |
| Egg        | ditto     |
|------------+-----------|
|            |           |
| Lunch      | ditto     |
|------------+-----------|
|            |           |
| Scroll     | ditto     |
|------------+-----------|
|            |           |
| London     | ditto     |
|------------+-----------|
|            |           |
| Almond     | ditto     |
|------------+-----------|
|            |           |
| Rose       | ditto     |
|------------+-----------|
|            |           |
| Milk       | ditto     |
|------------+-----------|



 The invoice is addressed to Farnestock Brothers, Gettysburg, Pennsylvania
 and it is for "One Bbl. Farina Crackers 96 lbs. 8 oz    $7.68"

       From the above it is would appear that crackers were sold by the
 pound rather that by the barrel.  Barrels were strong containers that
 would keep them from being crushed from other packages, but probably not
 do much for internal breakage.

       The 96 lbs. of crackers suggests a fairly large barrel.  Trying to
 picture the amount of space they would occupy, I thought of 96 one-pound
 boxes of common soda crackers we see in grocery stores today.  Placed in a
 pile three boxes long by four boxes wide and eight boxes high, they would
 occupy a space that would be 18 inches by 18 inches and 60 inches high.
 No doubt the crackers being shipped in barrels were probably denser and
 with less packaging would have taken up less space, but it would still be
 a good size container.

 Peace,
 George L. Miller
 URS Corporation
 561 Cedar Lane
 Florence, New Jersey 08518