The Ocala banner., 1922-06-02

/ burg consulted ink specialists in the
east and made trips to their labora-
tories having special inks made up for
his machine.
Perfects linking Device.
1t was not until Christmas Eve,
1919, that the present successful
marking ink was developed In place
of liquid ink a ribbon like that used
on the multigraph or typewriter was
adopted BY this time the eastern ink
specialists had prepared coloring mat
ter that stood up under the heat and
made an indelible mark on the fruit
without coating the dies.
Negotiations with the California
Fruit Growers Exchange had never
been brought to a conclusion. How
ever. P. H. Norton, manager of the
cooperative packing house at Red
lands, proved TO be possessed OF ad-
vanced ideas and arrangements were
made to set up in house in 1917-191S
the first rapidly working machines.
Here many changes were made to
improve the apparatus. Lewis Neuen-
Schwander became interested in the
machine while on visits to this pack
ing house and was so entirely sold on
the fruit marking idea that he gave
up his career and cast his lot with the
new venture.
This addition proved extremely ad-
vantageous. The limit of the over
head marking device, then used, was
reached by machine set up and op-
Grated in the College Heights Packing
House at Claremont, Cal. 1t was de-
cided to change the method entirely
and roll the fruit over the dies Mr..
Neuenschwander designed the first
machine of this type. After several
changes this machine was sent to
Florida and successfully marked cit
rus.
Month after month Mr.. Neuensch-
wander and Mr.. Ahlburg weeded out
the weaknesses of the machine until
in 1919 they had brought it to a point
where it would brand 500 oranges a
minute and require scarcely any at
tention from operators.
Hearing that E. P. Porcher, presi-
dent of the Deerfield Groves Company,
had developed - marking machine
Ahlburg next went to Cocoa, Fla
Porcher quickly recognized the ad-
vantage of the permanent electric
mark His hearty cooperation and
friendly attitude did much to hasten
developments. His packing house
was the first one permanently equip
ped with marking machines. Steady
marking of the high-grade Indian
River fruit dispelled all doubts regard
ing the value of this means of identi-
fieation as we'll as any fear that the
fruit might suffer injury.
A. E. G. Backs Machine.
About this time the American Fruit
Growers Incorporated was organized
with sales offices in the principal
cities of the United States. Execu-
tives of this organization have found
through years OF experience that
quality pays and their principal eff
forts were turned toward shipping the
better quality of fruits and vegetables
Naturally the electric marking ma
chine was of special interest to
them because it offered a means OF
Identifying quality fruit.
Arrangements were completed with
the Electric Fruit Marking Company
to install machines in the principal
citrus packing houses of the Ameri-
can Fruit Growers in Florida and
California. Under a single trademark
the American Fruit Growers began
shipping the products of its own or
chards and the orchards OF shippers
using the A. F. G. sales service. This
trademark, the figure Of Blue Goose,
had come to stand for high quality
through Its use by one of the Western
shipping companies which was merg-
ed with the American Fruit Growers.
The trademarked fruit proved
sensation among wholesalers and job
bers in the fruit and vegetable indus
try. Backed by highly selective sys-
tenn Of grading it commanded extra
ordinary prices in the large markets
like New York, Boston. Philadelphia
and Chicago.