THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE, 



209 



THE IMPERIAL BUSHEL THE BEST STANDARD MEASURE. 



The difficulties to be encountered in arriving at any 

 uniform system of Weight or Measure in the sale of 

 corn were very forcibly illustrated at the February 

 meeting of the Farmers' Club. Of course, the great 

 advantage of a central body like this is, that it combines 

 the opinions and experience of almost every part of the 

 country. The uses of such a power could never be 

 more apparent than when applied to the consi- 

 deration of the subject here brought under dis- 

 cussion. Any merely local Society — be it a district 

 Club, a Board of Guardians, or a Corn-market 

 Committee — would, and have, most probably, 

 made very short work of such a question. 

 They would just resolve and recommend in accordance 

 with their own habits and practice. Let the uniform 

 standard be their own ; let everybody come round to 

 this, and then we shall do very well. At the London 

 Club, however, nearly every man represented a dis- 

 trict, and, more or less, a system of his own. Indeed, 

 we really believe that, when at last a definite motion 

 had to be put, there was scarcely a member present but 

 who, had the opportunity been allowed him, would 

 have proposed, amended, or suggested something a 

 little different from that of his neighbour — A neighbour, 

 be it understood, sitting in the next chair to him at the 

 meeting, but coming from quite another quarter of the 

 kingdom. It is, we must repeat, such component 

 parts as these which give peculiar value and importance 

 to the proceedings. 



Under these circumstances Mr. Owen Wallis' well- 

 arranged tables and careful series of results told by no 

 means so strongly as might, perhaps, have been ex- 

 pected. It appeared to signify very little what the 

 Dolgelly Union or the Arundel Farmers' Club thouglit 

 about the matter, as everybody came manifestly pre- 

 pared to think for himself. Mr. Wallis, in fact, did 

 not read the digest of evidence we give in our report. 

 With very sound discretion he contented himself with 

 stating what the tendency of this was, and how thorough- 

 ly he agreed with the majority. Everybody, as a rule, 

 insisted on the necessity of uniformity, either of 

 weight or measure ; while a far greater number 

 of the opinions thus collected were recorded 

 in favour of sale by weight. In the discussion, on the 

 contrary, the preponderance was the other way. The 

 two most able and suggestive of all the speakers who 

 followed the introducer of the subject were Mr. Robert 

 Baker and Mr. Spencer Skelton, and both these advo- 

 cated a measure of capacity ; or, in other words, the 

 more general recognition of our present standard, the 

 imperial bushel. " There is no doubt, either, but that 

 the addresses of these two gentlemen had considerable 

 effect upon the audience, and that they are mainly 

 responsible for the conclusion arrived at. Figures and 

 tables do not go for much, on occasions like these; but 

 a good plain argument is sure to make its way. 



When the Central Club, during the past year, took 

 up this question, certain of the leading members re- 

 solved themselves into a special committee. The open- 

 ing of Mr. Wallis' address will show what steps they 

 took to put themselves in communication with the 

 country, while his paper may be regarded as embody- 

 ing the sense of this correspondence. Previously, how- 

 ever, to issuing their circular, the committee started 

 ■with two propositions, which they severally moved, 

 passed, and eventually embodied in their public 

 etter. The first of these formally declared, •' That 

 1 



a uniform system of weight or measure for the 

 sale of corn is desirable." The second stated more 

 definitely, " That this Special Committee feels justi- 

 fied, from the communications received, as well as from 

 the opinions expressed, in recommending the sale of 

 corn by weight as the best means of establishing uni- 

 formity of system in the sale of agricultural produce." 

 Now, it will be found from the conclusion arrived at 

 on Monday evening, that a general meeting of the 

 members have corrected this opinion of their com- 

 mittee. In the face of the increased evidence in favour 

 of weight, a majority, with the Chairman to head it, 

 have declared themselves in open council for the im- 

 perial bushel. This is pretty sure to be regarded in many 

 different ways— as stultifying what has already been 

 done — opposed to the general feeling of the country, 

 and so forth. There was some little demur as to the 

 order in which the resolutions were put ; but consider- 

 ing that Mr. Skeltoa's amendment was clearly car- 

 ried, we do not see much to complain of. It should 

 be explained that many members had left before the 

 division took place ; not that we think, had this been 

 asked for earlier, would there have been any other re- 

 sult. 



We shall venture even a little beyond this, in saying 

 that we see nothing whatever to complain of, in such a 

 termination to the proceedings. We consider it to have 

 been the most practical determination that the Club 

 could possibly have arrived at. We believe that, 

 if in our generation, we are to have any uniformity of 

 system, it will be accomplished only by the imperial 

 bushel. AVe have some reason for thinking that if the 

 Government does interfere, in answer to the wishes 

 of the country, it will be only to more rigidly en- 

 force its own standard. We are very sanguine that 

 by such a means the object is feasible. On the other 

 hand, a measure of weight is positively hedged in with 

 obstacles. The Government will not merely have to 

 ignore the principle it has so far maintained, but to 

 upset and revolutionize with this many a subsequent 

 measure engrafted upon it. There is the Tithe Com- 

 mutation Act, riding easily and pleasantly at last— all 

 to be done de novo. There are our corn rents, and so 

 forth, all to be fresh arranged. And there are the many 

 districts — iu the majority, as we imagine — which are 

 now accustomed to the imperial bushel, and the fact of 

 eight bushels making one quarter, to be untaught, and 

 then school(?d over again, by the same master ! 



It is not our purpose to go very minutely here 

 into the merits of the two systems. The de- 

 cussion will show that much may be said, for 

 and against either. A farmer's man, according to Mr. 

 Wallis' experiment, cannot measure up a bushel of 

 corn twice alike— so much for measure ; while by Mr. 

 Baker's story, a miller can gtiess nearer to the weight 

 of a sack of corn than ten farmers can actually weigh 

 it to— so much for weight. Perhaps, after all, the 

 better plan would be, as is now often done, to combine 

 the two, and deliver a bushel of corn of a certain 

 wekjht. Call this what we may, a measure of capacity 

 or of weight, it has the recommendation of going for 

 its fixed standard to the already acknowledged one 

 of the country. By such a path we might hope to 

 find our way out of this difficulty. By any other we 

 fear we should only become involved in a labyrinth 

 that few would care to help us to explore. 



In the hands of our rulers this resolution of the 



