THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



207 



(Hear, hear). He fouud that there were variations 'in the 

 sacks, which sometimes amoimted to as much as two or three 

 pouuds. He raaiutaiued, therefore, that the imperial bushel 

 was not a fi»ir standard, and that there should be some weight 

 to represent the imperial bushel, as nearly as possible, through- 

 out Euglaud and Wales, atiJ also throughout Ireland and 

 Scotland. It was aJmitted, he thought, ou all hands, that 

 there was no fairer test than dead weight. Why, then, should 

 not the imperial bushel be represented by a certain dead 

 weight ? Whether the standard weight should bs sixty, sixty- 

 one, sixty-two pounds, or more, was of course a matter for 

 considaratioa ; but he thought that, on an average of years, 

 sixty pounds would be found the nearest to the mark. Since 

 the subject was discussed last year he had taken the trouble 

 to make inquiries of his neighbours, and of other persons iu 

 various localities, as to their opinions in reference to this mat- 

 ter, and he found that a decided majority of them were in 

 favour of having some uniform weight, representing as nearly 

 as possible the imperial bushel. He quite agreed with Mr. 

 Wallis, that this difficulty of aseertaiuiiig the value of wheat, 

 from the quotations of customary local weights or measures, 

 was ordinarily far greater in the case of the farmer than in that 

 of the corn-merchant and the miller. The latter always had 

 their Ready-reckoners with them, and could soon arrive at a 

 correct estimate of value — a matter often of considerable diffi- 

 culty to the producer. For these reasons, he was of opinion 

 that the establishment of a uniform jveight would be the best 

 settlement of this vexed question. 



Mr. Dagg (Hatfield, Herts) observed that, with the ex- 

 ception of the last speaker, no person who had taken part in the 

 discussion had stated whether he had himself bought or sold by 

 weight or by measure. When he first went to Mark Ijsne to 

 buy corn, he asked the weight per bushel, but could never get 

 any one to tell it ; and this was au impediment to transac- 

 tions. For the last seven years he had never bought in any 

 way except by measure, with a guaranteed weight ;. and he 

 was of opinion that measure shoul^ be retained, it being left 

 to the buyer and seller to make their own bargain with re- 

 spect to weight (Hear, hear). In fifty quarters of oats he 

 had deducted as much as six shillings and sixpence for sixty- 

 six pounds of deficient weight. The Norfolk plan seemed very 

 fair dealing, and on the whole, he thought the use of the im- 

 perial bushel, accompanied with a guaranteed weight as be- 

 tween buyer and seller, was the best system that could be 

 a:iopted ; and he believed that, practically, such a system 

 would not interfere with the lithe rent-charge, the duty on 

 importations, or any existing arrangement. 



Mr. Little (Landhill, Chippenham) said, having adopted 

 the plan just described by Mr. Dagg, he begged to say he had 

 found it very advantageous to him as a farmer. In bis own 

 county — Wiltshire — it was very much the practice for farmers 

 to combine a guaranteed weight with the imperial bushel, and 

 it was a practice which had generally proved very satisfactory 

 to all concerned. He really believed that it was the best sys- 

 tem that could be established as a uniform system, and the 

 best compromise that could be effected. 



The Rev. C. T. James said it was important to remem- 

 ber that the tenor of the act of Parliament was decidedly 

 against weight, and in favour of measure. It was only by 

 an addendum, as it were, to the act — an addendum which 

 seemed to have been introduced inadvertently — that farmers 

 were enabled to sell by weight. He should be heartily glad, 

 if it were practicable, that all corn was sold by weight, be- 

 cause in the arrangement of our animals, we should then 

 more largely feed by weight ; but he could not overlook the 

 manifest intention of the Legislature. The .5th and 6th Will. 



IV. abolished the use of all local and customary measures. 

 This was done in the Gth clause, as follows : " And be it 

 enacted, Tiiat from and after the passing of this Act the 

 Measure called the Winchcsler Bushel, and the Lineal 

 Measure called the Scotch Ell, and all local or customary 

 Measures, shall be abolished; and every person who shall 

 sell, by any Denomination of Measure other than One of 

 the Imperial Measures, or some Multiple or some aliquot 

 Part, such as Half, the Quarter, the Eighth, the Sixteenth, 

 or the Thirty-second Parts thereof, shall, on Conviction, be 

 liable to a Penalty not exceeding the Sum of Forty Shil- 

 lings for every such Sale." Those words he could easily 

 understand, But then came a proviso in the same clause, 

 which was inconsistent with what preceded it : " Provided 

 always, that nothing herein contained shall prevent the 

 Sale ot any Articles in any Vessel, where such Vessel is 

 not represented as containing any Amount of Imperial 

 Measure, or of any fixed, local, or customary Measure 

 heretofore in use." Thus the second part of the clause 

 nullified the first, and gave a sanction to selling by weight, 

 which was not contemplated, probably, when the act was 

 passed. The oth clause, which was also a very important 

 one, was as follows : " And whereas some Articles hereto- 

 fore sold by Heaped Measure are -from their Size and 

 Shape incapable of being stricken"— the use of the word 

 "stricken" was very significant, as showing that Parli?- 

 ment intended all sales to be made by measure— "and from 

 their Nature and Quality may not be conveniently sold by 

 Weight : Be it therefore enacted. That all such Articles 

 may henceforth be sold by a Bushel Measure," &c. Again, 

 in the 16th clause. Parliament said: " And be it enacted, 

 That in Scotland, from and after the passing of this Act, 

 the Fiar Prices of all Grain in every County shall be struck 

 by the Imperial Quarter, and all other Returns of the 

 Prices of Grain shall be set forth by the same, without any 

 Reference to any other Measure whatsoever; and that any 

 Sheriff Clerk, Clerk of a Market, or other Person who 

 shall oflend against this Provision shall forfeit a Sum not 

 exceeding Five Pounds." Notwithstanding this enact- 

 ment, the greatest diversity still prevailed in Scotland. 

 He (Mr. James) had himself resided and occupied land 

 within reach of four market-towns, in every one of which a 

 distinct system of purchase and sale prevailed. Such di- 

 versity was very inconvenient and injurious to the seller, 

 was very perplexing to the merchant, was fraught with evil 

 consequences to the miller and the baker, and was in nu- 

 merous instances very unjust and distressing to the hard- 

 working and meritorious poor (Hear, hear). He held in 

 his hand a letter from a miller, which appeared to him 

 deserving of attention. The writer said : " There is a 

 general complaint that farmers do not deliver as sample. 

 Wheat weighs from 65 to 521b. per bushel ; and, in conse- 

 quence of its being 7nade a certain weight, it is impossible 

 to discriminate. The buyer is deprived of the best guide, 

 the natural weigJit. The argument that disputes would 

 arise, is not a business view of the question : we have 

 abundant cause of dispute now. It is evident that bargains 

 by weight make the seller careless and the buyer less 

 strict. If the seller deliver the bulk inferior to sample, of 

 course the buyer is prejudiced. It is most decidedly an 

 indirect permission to do so, if the corn is made a certain 

 weight : it is a premium for slovenly management. I see 

 farmers generally make the sheaves too large ; and in two 

 or three days, the corn is removed to the barn or rick. 

 The consequence is, the first six months after harvest, 

 English wheat will not make a good sack-flour ; and millers 



