Report of Society's Meetings. 371 
might be recorded verbatim and utilised in any way the Society may 
think desirable. 
After careful consideration the Committee have come to the follow- 
ing conclusions : — 
I. That a prejudice does exist against Canadian Flour as com- 
pared with that from the United States. From the evidence of 
Mr. F. A. R. Winter, it appears that this is a revival of objections 
made forty to fifty years ago when flour was imported from Hali- 
fax and other British American ports in mixed cargoes of fish, 
staves, lumber, &c, where the lumber was often frozen in the 
hold. Stowed in that way the flour was often damp and soon be- 
came sour, which would not have happened if it had been kept 
separate. 
2 That this old prejudice yet exists is shown from the faft that 
there is still a difficulty in disposing of Canadian Flour at the same 
price as American brands of similar quality, and again the bakers still 
complain that it will not keep good so long as that which they are ac- 
customed to use. 
3. Whether there is any truth in this allegation is doubtful, but it is 
possible that the Canadian packers are not so experienced in preparing 
flour for the tropics as those of New York who have been carrying on 
the trade for such a long time. 
4. That a prejudice also exists against the shape of the Canadian 
barrels, which also have flat hoops, while the dealers are accustomed to 
see these round on the outside. This could be easily overcome by 
packing in the customary way, and one witness stated that the Canadian 
packers are already doing this. 
5. That from the evidence of Mr. Beatty, who has had large ex- 
perience in working with Canadian Flour in the United States, it 
appears that the product of the more northern territories con- 
tains more starch than that from the south, and therefore is not so 
nutritious and does not keep so well. The variety of wheat may 
also have something to do with this, the red kinds being more hard 
than the white. 
6. Finally, after weighing the evidence, they do not consider the alle- 
gations proven, but that at the same time there is sufficient reason for a 
series of comparative experiments with different brands to settle the 
question once for all. Mr. Mackay has already written to Canada for 
samples, and on their arrival they would recommend that portions of 
