THE BULBARIUM 217 



" My dear George," I expostulated, " I may 

 know how much a quart is " 



" If you don't nobody can !" he remarked, 

 with meaning. 



" But how on earth am I to tell what half a 

 bushel is like ?" 



" They don't seem to have taught you any- 

 thing at all at Eton," he complained. '' Surely 

 you remember your table of avoirdupois ? 

 Two pecks one gallon — er — two gallons one 

 peck " 



" But what in heaven's name is a peck ?" 



"Wait a minute; it '11 come back to me 

 directly. Two pecks one bushel; two bushels 

 one rod, pole, or perch; two rods, poles, or 

 perches, one " 



At that moment a large lump of soaking fibre 

 that I was engaged in kneading eluded my grasp 

 and flew into my left eye, causing me to utter 

 a somewhat unparliamentary expression. 



" Reginald, I'm shocked !" said George. 



'' Ell r' I repeated; "two perches one ell; 

 two ells one rood " 



" Extremely rood," my cousin agreed. 



" Never mind," I continued. " The compost 

 is ready now. Bring up the bowls and let's fill 

 them." 



George held each jar in turn while I packed 

 it with sodden fibre, until at last the supply of 



