THE ALUMNI JOURNAL. 165 



which 20 should go to the ounce ; but occurred, it is to be looked for in the 



finally in the twelfth year of Henry VII, weight of the seed of the wheat. Ac- 



the pennyweight came to be divided into cording to the statute of King Henry III, 



24. grains:'' (already cited) the standard grains are 



Thus it is seen that 32 standard grains " well dried," and in the determinations 



of wheat were used six hundred years made herein, well-dried is taken to have 



ago to establish the peyinyweight, which meant, air- dried. We are told by the 



then became the unit of weight. This Century Dictionary that such countries 



pennyweight, about two hundred years as yield a surplus of wheat are, the 



afterwards was divided into 24 parts, and United States, Canada, Russia, Hungary, 



thus produced the number of grain India, Australia, Egypt, Rouraania and 



weights (24) that now (providing that no Turkey. In addition to specimens front 



other changes were made in the standard) most of these countries, I procured also 



make a pennyweight. Hence, one penny- specimens from New Zealand, England 



weight (or 24 grains in weight) should and several South American States. 



now balance 32 grains of wheat, if wheat These specimens are taken from commer- 



still conforms in size and weight to the cial lots, and are averages of such as are 



standard taken as an average of wheat in sold in large amounts in the grain 



the year 1266. In order to conform to market, all of crop 1893 f except Rosario, 



the standard inaugurated by statute of 1892. 



Henry VII, 100 grains of wheat should From the list furnished by J. U. Lloyd 



only weigh 75 grains. the two following tables are abstracted: 



COMPARISON OF DIFFERENT WHEATS. ^-AVERAGE WEIGHT OF WHEAT FROM EACH 



COUNTRY. 



We have thus (if no subsequent change Grains. 



was made)a well-established standard con- Australia and New Zealand-- --- 71895 



cerning the weight of wheat six hundred England — ^V^° 



*=• .^ r ^. . , India -.-: ..-___- 66.765 



years ago, and an average of the wheat ^^^^^ ^^^^.^^ ^6^,^ 



of the world now should show us the ef- united States and and Canada 5i-54x 



feet that time and cultivation have had Russia — 47-795 



on the size of the fruit. It is not enough 



for this purpose to take the product of a Total average 60.870 



single state, or of one country ; a broad "-average weight of the heaviest sam- 



, ... , r ^1 1 J. c PLE FROM EACH COUNTRY. 



average should be made 01 the wheats of Grains. 



the world. This seed, like other plants, India 84.190 



is affected by drouth and climatic in- South America 77890 



fiuences, and yet, an average of the wheat Australia and New Zealand.... .. .... 77.878 



products of the principal wheat yielding ^^ ^ j o*^ V V,^ "^ ^/.,^ 



^ ..... . United States and Canada 74 43° 



lands of civilization might give us a Russia '• -— 56.638 



record that may be accepted as indicating 



either that the grain, so far as size is Total average — 74-734 



concerned, is being improved or is retro- summary. 



grading. The English grain weight has ist— Accepting that the standard grain 



probably remained intact since its second weight was created from grains taken 



standardization,* and if any change has 



t Weighings were made the second week in August, 



* "Fortunately, one unit common to Troy, apothecaries' 1894. A loss of 6.77 per cent, resulted in new wheat out 



and avoirdupois weight has been saved, — namely, the of the harvest field after five days' exposure to a tem- 



giahi." Remington' s Pharmacy, p. 35. perature of 138° F. in a drying room. 



