STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 93 



unscrupulous men? Are the fruit growers going to look idly on, 

 and be robbed of a market, for what in the best of years is a 

 large proportion of their crop? If not, it is time to be stirring. 

 Our next Legislature will meet a year from next January, and it 

 is none too soon for this Society, as a body and as individuals, to 

 take action. The endorsement of such a movement by the 

 Illinois State Horticultural Society, will give it a prestige which 

 it could perhaps attain in no other way, but this must be fol- 

 lowed up by active work to reach success. A concerted, indi- 

 vidual action is what will tell finally. Nothing influences "our 

 member" so much as a little practical talk, or a letter from a 

 constituent. 



The Cider Vinegar men will be on hand and, undoubtedly, 

 will make the fight alone, if necessary, but their opponents will 

 have the biggest odds and will make hot work against the cider 

 men alone, but the latter with the assistance of horticulturists 

 are sure of winning if the work is properly organized. " What 

 are you going to do about it?" 



DISCUSSION. 



After reading his paper Mr. Bryant remarked — I have some 

 samples of vinegar here with which I might make some experi- 

 mental tests, if it is desired. Society moved to see the tests. 

 Mr. Bryant, taking two test tubes, proceeds: I have here two 

 samples of vinegar ; one of them is pure cider vinegar and the 

 other is doubtful. The test is what number of grains of soda an 

 ounce of the vinegar will neutralize. The more citric acid the 

 more soda it takes to neutralize it. I have the soda here in liquid 

 form and putting it in the tube with the vinegar I note to what 

 degree on the tube the contents are a pink color. You see that in 

 the pure cider vinegar I have put in much more of the soda than I 

 did in the other and yet its color is not changed. This weaker 

 vinegar was sold as a pure cider vinegar, but it is not up to the 

 standard of strength of any State having a vinegar law. Now I 

 will give you a test for sulphuric acid which is found in many 

 vinegars. I put vinegar in this tube and then introduce a small 

 quantity of chlorate of barium, and if sulphuric acid is present 

 the contents change to a milky white and there is a deposit of 

 sediment. You see this weak vinegar becomes milky, which 

 shows that it contains sulphuric acid. In a little while there will 

 be sediment at the bottom. The better vinegar is still clear and 

 would not give any sediment. 



