Subcommittee IX on Varnish was organized in 1910 (as Subcommittee (i)) with the stated purpose of devising a form of specification for varnish which would enable the manufacturer to understand the requirements of the consumer, and which would enable the consumer to ascertain reasonably how closely such specifications have been fulfilled. This practical viewpoint persists today. It was implied in 1907 when a group of five ASTM technical papers on paint problems included one by J. C. Smith on “The Physical Testing of Oil Varnishes.” It is to be noted that although Smith's principal interest was in practical tests for natural and forced drying, such tests were not written into the standard methods of testing varnish (D 154) until 1950. Even now there remain some differences of opinion on the details of technique.