WEIGHTS AND MEASURES. 



WEIGHTS AND MEASURES. 



pounds allowed to each superficial foot of all 

 cattle measuring less than 7 and more than 5 

 feet in girth), makes 713 Ibs. ; and allowing 14 

 Ibs. to the stone, is 50 stone 13 Ibs. ; and where 

 the animal measures less than 9 and more than 

 7 feet in girth, 31 is the number of pounds to 

 each fool. Again, supposing a pig or any 

 small beast should measure 2 feet in girth, and 

 2 feet along the back, which, multiplied to- 

 gether, make 4 square feet, that multiplied by 

 11, the number of pounds allowed for each 

 square foot of cattle measuring less than 3 in 

 girth, makes 44 Ibs. ; which, divided by 14, to 

 bring it to stones, is 3 stones 2 Ibs. Again, 

 suppose a calf, sheep, &c., should measure 4 

 feet 6 inches in girth, and 3 feet 9 inches in 

 length, which, multiplied together, makes 16 

 square feet; that multiplied by 16, the number 

 of pounds allowed to all cattle measuring less 

 than 5 feet and more than 3 in girth, makes 

 264 Ibs. ; which, divided by 14, to bring it to 

 stones, is 18 stones 12 Ibs. The dimensions 

 of the girth and length of black cattle, sheep, 

 calves, or hogs, may be as exactly taken this 

 way as it is at all necessary for any computa- 

 tion or valuation of stock, and will answer ex- 

 actly to the four quarters, sinking the offal, and 

 which every man who can get even a bit of 

 chalk may easily perform. A deduction must 

 be made for a half-fatted beast of 1 stone in 20 

 from that of a fat one, and for a cow that has 

 had calves, 1 stone must be allowed, and an- 

 other for not being properly fat. 



The last act of Parliament on the subject of 

 weights and measures, is the 5 & 6 W. 4, c. 63, 

 which contains some important provisions. It 

 abolishes all local or customary measures 

 under a penalty of 40s. for every sale made by 

 them ; it prohibits the mischievous practice of 

 selling by heaped -measure; it enacts that coals 

 shall in all cases be sold by weight ; that with 

 the exception of the precious metals, jewels, 

 and drugs, all other articles sold by weight 

 shall be sold by avoirdupois weight only; and 

 that a stone shall in all cases consist of 14 Ibs. 

 avoirdupois ; a hundred weight of eight such 

 stones, &c. Lead and pewter weights are not 

 to be stamped. It enacts that the Winchester 

 bushel, the Scotch ell, and all local or customary 

 measures shall be abolished ; and every person 

 who shall sell by any measure other than one 

 of the imperial measures, or some multiple or 

 aliquot part thereof, shall be liable to a penalty 

 not exceeding 40s. for every such sale. That 

 the use of heaped measure shall be abolished, 

 and all bargains, sales, and contracts made 

 after the passing of this act, by heaped mea- 

 sure, shall be null and void. 



Articles sold by heaped Measure, how to be sold. 

 Whereas some articles heretofore sold by 

 heaped measure are incapable of being stricken, 

 and may not be conveniently sold by weight; 

 it is enacted, that all such articles may hence- 

 forth be sold by a bushel measure, correspond- 

 ing in shape with the bushel prescribed by the 

 5 G. 4, c. 74, for the sale of heaped measure, 

 or by any multiple or aliquot part thereof, filled 

 in all parts as nearly to the level of the brim 

 as the size and shape of the articles will ad- 

 mit; but nothing herein shall prevent the sale 

 1114 



by weight of any article heretofore sold by 

 heaped measure. 



All coals, slack, culm, and cannel of every 

 description shall be sold by weight and not by 

 measure. 



All articles sold by weight shall be sold by 

 avoirdupois weight, except gold, silver, platina, 

 diamonds, or other precious stones, which may 

 be sold by Troy weight, and drugs, which, when 

 soid by retail, may be sold by apothecaries' 

 weight. 



The stone, hundred weight, c. From and after 

 the passing of this act, the weight denominated 

 a stone shall, in all cases, consist of 14 stand- 

 ard pounds avoirdupois, the hundred weight of 

 8 such stones, and the ton of 20 such hundred 

 weights ; but nothing herein shall prevent any 

 bargain, sale, or contract being made by any 

 multiple or aliquot part of the pound weight. 



Fiar prices. 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 whatso- 

 ever; and any sheriff-clerk, clerk of a market, 

 or other person offending against this provision 

 shall forfeit not exceeding 5J. See FIAR. 



Penalty on price lists, fyc. From and after the 

 1st of January, 1836, any person printing, or 

 clerk of any market or other person making 

 any return, price list, price current, or any 

 journal or other paper containing price list or 

 price^current, in which the weights and mea- 

 sures quoted or referred to denote or imply a 

 greater or less weight or measure than is de- 

 noted or implied by the same denomination of 

 imperial weights and measures under the pro- 

 visions of this act, shall forfeit and pay not ex- 

 ceeding 10s. for every copy of every such return, 

 price list, price current, journal, or other paper 

 which they publish. (Brande's Diet, of Science; 

 M'Culloch's Com. Diet.} 



The following observations relative to the 

 weights and measures of the United States are 

 derived from a correspondent of the Farmer's 

 Cabinet. 



The subject of establishing by the Congress 

 of the United States a uniform standard of 

 weights and measures for the whole confede- 

 racy, is a matter of great importance to the 

 agricultural and commercial interests. Most 

 of the states, perhaps all, have legislated on 

 this very interesting, important, and difficult 

 subject, and it is obvious, from the results of 

 their disjointed labours, that there is still room 

 for the exercise of the skill, judgment, and 

 science of the- most learned men in the nation, 

 to reduce the chaos to order, and to prepare a 

 uniform system, founded on scientific princi- 

 ples, for the use of the whole nation. Much 

 confusion and loss must be sustained by the 

 great discrepancies which exist in the weights 

 and measures in use in the different states 

 which are in habits of constant commercial 

 intercouse. 



On an examination of the learned and able 

 report made by John Quincy Adams to the 

 Senate of the United States in 1821, and that 

 made by F. R. Hassler to the same body in 



