374 On the Inequality of Weights and Meafures. 0<3:. 



Gentleman Farmer in particular) gave me a new light in my 

 Own profefFion. Confulting with fome very fenfible men, 

 neighbours of mine, we fet about trying a new method. 

 The rotation of cropping which we have adopted is fourfold, 

 viz. oats, turnips or potatoes, bear, hay. We do not, how- 

 ever, keep more ground under tillage, than is required to 

 keep our ftock through the Winter. With our turnips, we 

 fatten fome beafts for thi" burcher. This mode is now al- 

 moft generally followed throughout this diftricl, and anlwers 

 fo well, that, though fituated ia a rainy and high country, 

 our harveft is generally finifhed before that of other places 

 more favoured by nature. 



In my dealings with feveral counties, and even with dif- 

 ferent parts cf the fame county, I have often been puzzled 

 by the inequality of the weights and meafures by which 

 grain is fold. I cannot fee any thing which prevents the 

 Legifl iture to corre6l this abufe, by ordering the fame fland- 

 ard to be ufed throughout the kingdom. But, on communi- 

 cating thefe my fentiments to others more wife than myfelf, 

 I am informed that it has already been in vain attempted. I 

 acquiefcer! in this anfwer, as I always do in ev:ry opi'iion of 

 my betters, where they are more able to jud,^e than I Can 

 poflibly be. For this evil, I 'lope there is Itill a remedy left. 

 You, Gentlemen, muft kn>w, if there be any table of the 

 proportions which the diflFcrenr bolls, buihels, &c. in ufe at 

 different places, bear to each other. If there is none v/hich 

 contains fuch ufehil ipfor!i:..:ioa to the l;ir'rier, I beg leave 

 to fuggelt, whether it would not add much lo the utility and 

 circulation of your publicatio;!, (at leail to fuch as myfelf it 

 would be infinitely more valuable), if it contained a table 

 fuch as I have mentioned. By comparing the fize of the 

 different meafures ufed, we could obtain a much more accu- 

 rate knowledge of the prices of grain, and of all the articles 

 of common confumption at different places, as reported in 

 your Magazine and the newfpap.rs. Such a knowledge, • 

 xmiverfalh; circulated, would be attended with moft benefi- 

 cial eff <Sts. It would put the honefl, but not fo far travel- 

 led farmer, on a footing with the knowing corn-dealer, or 

 fharp butcher. It muft tend, in a high degree, to the exten- 

 fion of theoretical, as well as pra61:icai knowledge of hufband- 

 ry, and, hi thefe times of fcarcity, would have confiderable 

 influence on trie equal redudlion of all the commodities of life. 

 Nor would the information requifite be very difficult to obtain. 

 Your numerous correfpondents and readers, ia different parts 



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