THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



203 



could we get two bushels cxactly'alike in weight. I have 

 been told by a corn-merchant that it is not at all uncom- 

 mon to have corn delivered varying as much as 7 lbs, the 

 sack of 4 bushels; and hence, I repeat, its almost general 

 disuse. I would not dwell on this point, but from the cir- 

 cumstance that the imperial bushel has still many advo- 

 cates. Judging, however, from the answers to the circular- 

 letter issued by this Club, they are greatly in the minority, 

 as will be seen by reference to the table of returns which 

 I have drawn up. From this it appears that of the mem- 

 bers of this Club four are for measure alone, three for 

 weight alone, and one for measure and weight combined. 

 Of the local farmers' clubs, three are for measure, ten for 

 weight, and four for measure and weight. Of the boards 

 of guardians, twelve are for measure only, thirty-six for 

 weight only, and ten for measure with Aveight declared. 

 The totals will therefore be — for measure aloue, nineteen; 

 weight alone, fortj' -nine ; and measure, with weight stated, 

 fifteen. This last is, in fact, selling bj' weight ; for if the 

 corn which is bought on these terms is delivered in ac- 

 cordance with the weight stated, and of the quality 

 of the sample, no questions are asked as to the 

 correctness of the measure. I contend, therefore, 

 that the advocates of weight alone, and those for 

 measure with weight staled, ought to be added together. The 

 totals will then be 19 for measure, against 64 for weight. If 

 we take this as a fair expression of public opinion — and I 

 think we cannot do otherwise, collected as it is from all parts 

 of the kingdom — the question of measure as against weight 

 may be considered as settled in favour of the latter. We will 

 next consider the propriety of selling corn by measure, but 

 stating its natural weight. That this plan is very convenient 

 to mauy gentlemen engaged in the corn trade, I have no 

 doubt; indicating, as it does in some degree, the quality of the 

 corn they are buying. But on this point I cinnot do better 

 than quote the opinions of the members of the Wirral Agricul- 

 tural Improvement Society, as expressed in their very valuable 

 report on this subject. They say, " That weight simply, 

 without such an indication of the specific weight as is 

 afforded by a statement of the weight per measure, affords 

 no indication of quality, your committee unhesitatingly 

 admit. But on the other hand, they must affirm that the 

 proper purpose of weight or measure h not, and never has 

 been, to indicate quality ; that the mere specific gravity of 

 corn Cannot, in an average of cases, be taken to prove its 

 value, in point of quiUty, within ten per cent ; and that, in 

 practice, neither corn nor other agricultural produce is ever 

 bought without being seen and haudled, either by the buyer or 

 his agent." In this opinion I entirely concur ; and further, I 

 contend that the sellers of corn ought not to be called upon to 

 incur the double expense of measuring and weighing. But 

 there is a still greater objection to this plan. Quotations of 

 prices can never fulfil their proper intention, and be of any 

 rtal value, till they refer to fixed and definite quantities, and 

 these we can never have with an ever-varying standard. We 

 see a price quoted as to wheat in a distant market, but we do 

 not know whether it has reference to sample weighing 54 lbs. 

 or 66 lbs. per bushel, or any intermediate weight. The quo- 

 tation is therefore valueless, and that consideration alone is, I 

 think, an insuperable objection to such a standard. This ob- 

 jection applies also, with equal force, to measure without 

 weight. We come last to a standard of weight, and we shall 

 have to consider whether it will be best to have a variety of 

 weights, one suitable to each variety of corn, and fairly repre- 

 senting an imperial bushel of each ; or, whether we shall 

 adopt one weight for the sale of all corn and other agricultural 



produce. If we are perfectly free to choose between the two — 

 and I think it will be found that we are — I am strongly of 

 opinion that it will be much better to adopt oue standard than 

 several. As between the buyer and the seller, it must be a 

 matter of perfect indifference what the quantity is, so that it 

 is fully understood: and the more 1 have thought of the sub- 

 ject, the stronger has become my conviction, that it will be 

 an immense convenience, and greatly to our advantage, to sell 

 all corn and other agricultural produce by one weight only. 

 If corn and meal of all kinds, bran, pollard, oilcake, lin- 

 seed, locust beans, hay, straw, roots, &c., were each sold 

 by one weight, any one wanting to buy for feeding 

 purposes would see at a glance which was best worth 

 purchasing, without the necessity of troublesome cal- 

 culations. The adoption of one weight only, is 

 strongly advocated by the Wirral Agricultural Society, the 

 Association of tbe Liverpool Corn Trade, the Corn Exchange 

 Association of Hull, the Markets Committee of the Town 

 Council of Edinburgh ; and I have also received several letters 

 from gentlemen residing in different parts of England, advo- 

 cating such a standard. Some suggest lOQlbs. as a desirable 

 weight, having in view future decimal weights and measures : 

 others think the cwt. better, having no faith in the establish- 

 ment of either decimal weights or coinage in our day ; and to 

 this opinion I also incline. Having all the necessary weights 

 in use for carrying out a standard of 5tJ lbs. or 112 lbs., I 

 should prefer one of these, if practicable. It will, I Know, be 

 urged that for the purposes of the tithe commutation and the 

 corn rents, it will be absolutely necessary either to adhere to 

 the imperial bushel, or fix upon a standard of weights that 

 will fairly represent it, with respect to each variety of corn. 

 I cannot imagine any great difficulty in this latter pomt, if 

 fairly and honestly set about. There are numbers of millers 

 who have the weight of every load of wheat they have pur- 

 chased; and there are corn merchants and others, who can give 

 similar evidence. The weight per bushel being settled — 

 making that the datum for other calculations— I can scarcely 

 think tiere can be any insurmountable difficulty in preparing 

 a new set of tithe tables, showing what rent charge shall be 

 paid according to the average price of corn, upon a fixed stand- 

 ard of 56 lbs. or 112 lbs., or whatever it may be. I may possibly 

 be wrong, and we may have to fall back upon weights repre- 

 senting a bushel of each corn. Should this be the case, I 

 think it will be a matter to be regretted ; but even that will 

 be an immense improvement upon the present state of things, 

 which I trust will no longer be tolerated. In conclusion, let 

 me urge upon you, and all others, the necessity of thoroughly 

 agitating the question in every part of England, and let each 

 market in England send petitions to Parliament on the sub- 

 ject, or rest assured there will be no beneficial change. Let 

 one and all leave self out of the question, not mmdiug a little 

 perplexity in having to sell corn by the cwt., or some other 

 such standard of weight. It has been the custom of Ireland 

 for ages ; and what is perfectly convenient there, can be 

 attended with no very great difficulties in England, Scotland, 

 and Wales. With respect to the sale of barley by weight, I will 

 read the following remarks from a correspondent of the 

 Economist newspaper : " I perceive with satisfaction that 

 others as well as myself are directing their attention to the 

 fact that corn, like many other commodities, should be sold 

 throughout the United Kingdom by weight alone, and not ac- 

 cording to the present system of selling by dry measure. The 

 superiority of the scale, in point of acc.iracy and impartiality 

 between buyer and seller, cannot be questioned ; and the in- 

 consistency of our buying coals, &c., by pounds avoirdupois, 

 and corn by cubic inches, must be equally apparent. Allow 



