sc\(i-;il llioiis.-md (ioll.-irs. I IxliiNc lli.-il cilrns i^Tow civs of ( 'al i I'ortiia 

 lia\ (■ w.'islcd I liousaiitis ol gallons dI dil in siiiii(li;'inij,' Idi- I'l-osl pro 

 Ititioii l>\ h/niiiL; incorri el I lurinoini I crs. 



\\\\\ oM-. 1^ I'l Ol' 11 ii'.i:.M().Mi:i'i:i; is r.i: rii'Wi 

 11 1 \\ ( )ii ii:i;s 



riiciT arc three i;eiier;il lype'^ i>l t liennoiiiel ers in use in llie 

 oreliards lOr I'rosI prohclion: 'I'lie I liihe (Sixe paltern), tlie 

 ordinai'N shm I In rnioinel ei-. and Ihe liori/.onlal or iniiiiinuni llier 

 momeler. The (irsl-iianied were nol/ihly iiwu'euralc, only 1% were 

 found to ln' without error and nearly one-third were tlirown out 

 as lieini;- danu'erously inaeeurale. The ordinary kind of thermom- 

 eter tared only a little hetttr; only 2'y being reliable. Of the 

 horizontal variety, '.i2''( were dependable and 3% were suffieiently 

 erroneous as to be classed as dangerous. 



For o\er thirty years the g'overnmental meteorologieal serviees 

 of this ,111(1 other countries have adopted a standard maximum and 

 a standard minimum recording tliermometer. This instrument, 

 being somewhat more difficult to make than other types, probably 

 caused tlie manufacturers to advertise and sell the other simpler 

 varieties without regard to accuracy. The commonest kind of ther- 

 mometer used in the orchards of Southern California is the U-tube 

 model designed half a century or more ago by Sixe of London. 

 Where errors of 3 to 6 degrees are inconsequential, this thermom- 

 eter may serve, but for use in situations where half a degree 

 may determine the danger point, such instruments invariably invite 

 disaster. It is unfortunately true that the consumer must demand 

 accuracy or practically worthless instruments will be sold him. It 

 would appear that manufacturers would suit their products to the 

 situation and distribute instruments applicable to the region rather 

 than to continue supplying inferior equipment. Since the findings 

 of the testing bureau have been made public, it is significant that 

 the grade of tliermometers supplied this market by the manufac- 

 turers has greatly improved. It is not uncommon for an order to be 

 placed with the proviso that "the instruments must receive certifi- 

 cation from the testing bureau before acceptance." 



The following chart shows in graphic form the relative de- 

 pendability to be placed on the different types of thermometers: 



The net result of these tests has been to gradually eliminate in- 

 accurate thermometers from the local markets for the simple reason 

 that the consumers, realizing that price or brand did not make for 

 accuracy, demanded that their instruments measure up to a standard 

 set by the testing bureau. Fruit growers in possession of tested 

 thermometers used them in the comparison of many other instru- 

 ments and thus automatically did away with misleading ther- 

 mometers. 



