8 BULLETIN 1009, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



When any lot of bottles is received, the best practice demands that 

 they be tested. The test to be applied is whether they meet the 

 specification as to capacity at the height of fill specified in the con- 

 tract. If the bottles do not test correctly, two alternatives are pos- 

 sible. The bottles may be rejected or temporary expedients, such as 

 changing the contents declaration on the labels, may be employed to 

 use up the particular lot. Rejection of bottles involves the inconven- 

 ience of temporary loss of packages and friction with the manufac- 

 turer. It is for the bottler to decide which method will be employed. 

 If the variation is excessive, good commercial practice would demand 

 that they be rejected. Testing the capacity of a representative sample 

 of each lot of bottles received and rejecting those lots with excessive 

 variations from the contract specifications is the second step in the 

 attainment of good commercial practice. 



The testing of the bottles gives the bottler information as to his 

 correct filling point. "Whether or not the tests show a variation from 

 his usual filling point wide enough to justify him in instructing his 

 employees as to proper changes is a question for him to decide. The 

 best practice would demand that the question of change of height of 

 fill be given due consideration. The adoption of the process of mak- 

 ing slight changes in the height of fill as indicated by the tests made 

 on the various lots of bottles as received is the third step in the at- 

 tainment of good commercial practice. 



Printing labels with the quantity of contents before they are at- 

 tached to the bottles is decidedly convenient. By making this state- 

 ment beforehand the bottler determines the quantity of contents 

 which he expects to fill into his bottles. The statement of quantity of 

 contents is necessarily the same as that specified in his contract with 

 the bottle manufacturer. The expediting of his business demands 

 that labels be ordered before the bottles are received. There is 

 always a possibility of altering the statement of quantity of contents 

 by rubber stamp or by reprinting, but this is an inconvenience which 

 will be suffered by the bottler only long enough to permit him to give 

 proper instructions to his manufacturer to correct the capacity in 

 the subsequent shipments. The application of labels bearing a defi- 

 nite, correct statement of the quantity of contents is regarded as the 

 fourth step in the attainment of good commercial practice. 



The development of good commercial practice is a growth and re- 

 quires a sufficient amount of time for adjustment to proper conditions 

 by the bottler. It involves the ordering of labels previous to the time 

 bottles are ordered, and a requirement on the part of the bottler that 

 his bottles be delivered to him as specified. Though this is an ideal 

 condition and it is not conceivable that it could be continued without 

 an occasional interruption, many factories are using this practice 

 closety. For the purpose of this bulletin, therefore, good commercial 



