Proceedings of the Farmers' Club. 141 



retained in some localities. Finally a law was passed in this State 

 fixing the apple barrel at one hundred quarts, diy measure, or 

 about two and a half bushels. Like many of the laws on the statute 

 book, it is nearly a dead letter, for of late apple men have been 

 using a pony l^arrel holding only ninety quarts, or very little more 

 than two bushels. Now, while it is barely possible that a few 

 farmers may sell these small barrels for the price of larger ones, 

 the practice will eventually operate to their injury, for buyers will 

 always give the preference to the lawful size, or flour barrels if 

 they can get them. The retailer marlcs the size of the barrel with 

 his eye, and while he can measure out fully eighteen half pecks 

 from the flour barrel, he kncnvs that this pony size will scarcely 

 turn out fourteen, and of course, he must buy accordingly. Again, 

 dealers who purchase for shipping, will not have the small size if 

 they can possibly get the large, for besides giving dissatisfaction, 

 the freight and cartage is as much on a small as on a large barrel. 

 Ohio and IVIichigan apples are now taking the precedence in this 

 market over State fruit, solely because they come in flour barrels. 

 Three car loads of Canada apples, in flour barrels, were recently 

 sold at six dollars and fifty cents per barrel, while a lot of similar 

 State fruit, in the ninety quart size, would only bring five dollars 

 and fifty cents. There is a growing prejudice against these small 

 packages, and a disposition on the part of many buyers to crowd 

 down, even below the real diflerence to compensate for what they 

 designate an attempted fraud. Farmers should bear in mind that 

 they are paying a large amount in extra cost of making the barrels 

 — one size being of the same price as the other — freight, cartage and 

 commission for selling, besides gaining the ill will of w^holesaler, 

 retailer and consumer. We know large apple dealers in this citj'' 

 who are determined to have nothing to do with barrels less than 

 the legal size, and as farmers and country dealers are now having 

 their barrels made for the next crop, they may as well take a hint. 



SOWING GRAIN. 



Mr. David Whyborn, Mexico, Oswego county, N. Y. — I wish to 

 state some objections to Mr. Smith's " true principle of broadcast 

 sowing." I object to throwing the seed all one w^ay in a strong 

 wind, from the fact that the wind takes the seed as soon as deliv- 

 ered from the hand and carries it too much in a straight, narrow 

 line, thereby leaving a space between each handful without ixwj, or 

 with very little seed. I admit it would not be so visible to a per- 



