LEGAL WEIGHTS AND MEASURES OF VEGETABLES 

 SOLD IN NEW YORK STATE 



John H. Farrell, Albany, 1ST. Y. 

 State Superintendent of Weights and Measures 



Vegetables, like all commodities sold in this state, must be sold 

 either by weight, measure or numerical count. 



There are two simple ways in which vegetables may be sold 

 in the state of Xew York: (1) by the head or bunch, and (2) 

 by weight. 



The method of sale by dry measure is far more complex, for, 

 in the first place, when commodities are commonly sold by heap 

 measure the law provides : 



" The measure of capacity for all commodities commonly 

 sold by heap measure shall be the half bushel and its mul- 

 tiples and subdivisions. The measures used to measure such 

 commodities shall be cylindrical, with plain and even bot- 

 tom, and of the diameter of nineteen and one-half inches 

 from outside to outside if a bushel ; fifteen and one-half 

 inches if a half bushel, and twelve and one-third inches if a 

 peck. 



"AH commodities sold by heap measure shall be duly 

 heaped up in the form of a cone, the outside of the meas- 

 ure to be the limit of the base of the cone, and the cone to 

 be as high as the commodities will admit." 



Furthermore, bushels of various vegetables must consist of a 

 definite number of pounds, in the absence of any agreement to 

 the contrary : peas, potatoes or beans, 60' pounds ; onions, 57 

 pounds, sweet potatoes, 5-i pounds and carrots, 50 pounds. For 

 a fractional part of a bushel, like fractional parts of the above 

 weights are required. There are similar provisions as to various 

 fruits and grains. 



When more than six heads or bunches of vegetables are sold 

 by count, or whenever vegetables are "sold by weight or dry meas- 

 ure, the weight, measure or count must be marked on a label 



[1555] 



