The wine gallon, whether of 224 or 231 cubic inches, may be altogether disregarded, as concerning, principally, the mercantile and the wealthy, the least numerous part of the society, and the most capable of reducing one measure to another by calculation. This gallon is little used among the mass of farmers, whose chief habits and interests are in the size of the corn bushel.
Of the standard measures before stated, two are principally distinguished in authority and practice. The statute bushel of 2150 cubic inches, which gives a gallon of 268.75 cubic inches, and the standard gallon of 1601, called the corn gallon of 271 or 272 cubic inches, which has introduced the mercantile bushel of 2276 inches. The former of these is most used in some of the grain States, the latter in others. The middle term of 270 cubic inches may be taken as a mutual compromise of convenience, and as offering this general advantage: that the bushel being of 2160 cubic inches, is exactly a cubic foot and a quarter, and so facilitates the conversion of wet and dry measures into solid contents and tonnage, and simplifies the connection of measures and weights, as will be shown hereafter. It may be added, in favor of this, as a medium measure, that eight of the standard, or statute measures before enumerated, are below this term, and nine above it.
The measures to be made for use, being four sided, with rectangular sides and bottom.
- The pint will be 3 inches square, and 3¾ inches deep;
- The quart 3 inches square, and 7½ inches deep;
- The pottle 3 inches square, and 15 inches deep, or 4½, 5, and 6 inches;
- The gallon 6 inches square, and 7½ inches deep, or 5, 6, and 9 inches;
- The peck 6, 9, and 10 inches;
- The half bushel 12 inches square, and 7½ inches deep; and The bushel 12 inches square, and 15 inches deep, or 9, 15, and 16 inches.
Cylindrical measures have the advantage of superior strength, but square ones have the greater advantage of enabling every one who has a rule in his pocket, to verify their contents by measuring them. Moreover, till the circle can be squared, the cylinder cannot be cubed, nor its contents exactly expressed in figures.
Let the measures of capacity, then, for the United States be—
- A gallon of 270 cubic inches;
- The gallon to contain 2 pottles;
- The pottle 2 quarts;
- The quart 2 pints;
- The pint 4 gills;
- Two gallons to make a peck;
- Eight gallons a bushel or firkin;
- Two bushels, or firkin, a strike or kilderkin;
- Two strikes, or kilderkins, a coomb or barrel;
- Two coombs, or barrels, a quarter or hogshead;
- A hogshead and a third one tierce;
- Two hogsheads a pipe, butt, or puncheon; and
- Two pipes a ton.
- And let all measures of capacity of dry subjects be stricken with a straight strike.
WEIGHTS.
There are two series of weights in use among us; the one called avoirdupois, the other troy.
In the Avoirdupois series: