THE SOUTH HAVEN POMOLOGICAL :SOCIETY. 513 



A. S. Dyckraan said he had examined his buds, but thought we must wait 

 until they were thawed out before we could be sure ; his lowest record was 16'^ 

 below zero. 0. C. Lathrop's lowest record was 18*^ below; I. S. Linderman re- 

 ports 16° below ; the secretary, 22'' below ; cold of short duration and the air 

 still. Allowance should be made for the difference in thermometers ; altitude 

 and air drainage had much to do with temperature. 



The president said to test thermometers, stand them in water and bring it 

 to boiling, when it should mark 212 ; place it in the snow and bring it to a 

 thaw, and it would mark 32 ; add salt to the snow and it would indicate zero. 



D. C. Loveday said he cut a large hmb of Early York peach and put it in his 

 cellar, and when thawed out found one bud in eight good. 



E. J. Lockwood felt sure he would have a crop of peaches. 

 L. H. Bailey was very sanguine of a crop. 



The subject for discussion next Monday evening will be " The best varieties 

 of small fruit," to be opened by C. H. Wigglesworth. 



BEST METHOD OF PACKING FRUIT. 



South Have^st, Monday, March 22, 1875. 



The regular question for discussion Monday evening was "The Best Method 

 of Packing Fruit." The secretary read the special rule that related to the 

 packing of fruit, adopted by the Northwestern Fruit Distributing Association, 

 as follows : 



*^ All fruit shipped by members of this association shall, as far as possible, be 

 strictly graded as follows: 1st grade, which shall have none but sound fruit in 

 it, and shall be strictly of the same general grade throughout the package, 

 provided that some of the very finest may be denominated " fancy." The second 

 grade shall be constituted of such fair fruit as will pay for shipment, but which 

 is not guaranteed perfect, although it is entirely sound." 



The objection to this grading is that what one may call good another may 

 call fancy, and what one will only call fair another may grade as good. 



President Lyon said that the grading of fruits should be determined by 

 inspection. Mr. A packs a shipment of peaches and puts on the trade mark 

 for No. 1 fruit. Mr. B puts up a shipment and also marks it No. 1. They 

 may be 25 per cent better or poorer. This 50 per cent difference can only be 

 determined by a competent inspector. A trade mark so used by the society, 

 or any association, would benefit the buyer as well as the seller 15 to. 20 per 

 cent, and by affixing a small fee for inspection it would prove a source of reve- 

 nue to the society or association. This trade mark could be so easily and 

 cheaply secured, so readily and generally known that it would become popular 

 and profitable at once, and not require the time usually employed in making a 

 reputation for an individual brand. 



Mr. Phillips said the time required to inspect the fruit seemed to be the 

 principal objection. 



C. J. Monroe thought the greatest objection was in opening and closing the 

 package. 



C. H. Wigglesworth said a greater difficulty was in displacing and replacing 

 the fruit. 



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