Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1879-03-28
THE BUSHEL- THE BARREL AND
TIE GENIAL

EEE GENITAL
Ens.s i, as there ought 20 be, 3 growing
,hseo0tsHt respecting the weights and meas
ures used n buying and selling. For in
stancs, how uluch Is oushsl Of grain? By
ms4suringa bushsl Of each of several kinds OF
gram, then weighing each portion as meas
ursj, We shall End that the same MEASURE is
not the same quantity. When va buy fifty
poun5s Of cats aad fifty pounds Of corn, we
have tie same quantity OF each article; but,
when Ne b1y ii-y bushels Of each, we have
not Therefore the bushel IS not a correct
measure, ard, FOR solids, should no longer be
used Bat tae case Of grain Is one that, per-
haps, most iaTors the b1shel way of measur-
ing Let u take the ease Of apples, potatoes
and similar articles. When the apples are
small, they lie near to each other: when
large, the space between the individual apples
= great Weigh a bushel Of small and a
b1sael Of large apples or potatoes, and It will
Be found n even a more striking degree than
with tie corn that, though they are the same
measure, they are not the same quantity. What
Is true Of the bushel ia true Of the peck and
quart, they are unsuited for dry measuring.
When the heaped measure Ia used, the mac
curacy Is doubted and trebled, for what comes
above the rim Of the measure is not meas
ured At all, but It's quantity depends upon the
shape Of the material, or the skill of the
measurer. Objectionable as the bushel meas
ure ls, u i innocence and Justice beside some
other modes Of measuring, such a the bar-
rel We know what the content of a bushel
: hnrrIH 10 t--E -
"ho can tellf when as in potatoes for in
stance, there are large barrels and small bar
rsls, and all other kinds Of barrels between
he two. When We -tuy busheI we know
what measure We have, out mo- what uuan-
uty; but when we buy barrel of ANYTHING.
We know nothing Of either measure or guan.
NY COnsidsrations such as these have led
% the actual substitution Of weight for meas
ufe IN many cases, as may be seen bv the
way gram Is regularly weighed in the
iced stores The quantities delivered are
called bushels. but are really pounds:
but bushel Of one kind Of seed is not the
same number Of pounds az a busbel of an
other kind, so that in making a bill o1t for
ten bushels Of clover-seed there Is one amount
Of grain, and N ten bushels of oats another
Common sense asks why not invoice nv
pounds when you weigh by pounds? and
WHO can answer common sense by fayorino
tce present unsystematic, unbusiness-lixe
way Of buying and selling certain articles %
merchandlssE In this country. and in En-.
rope this subject is receiving attention. and
is tune It did, for the bushel and barrel
modes Of reckoning quantity favor ONLY
oianderlng and fraud. The English par.ia-
Inent recently constituted the found the INIT
leaving to the board Of trade the adort,o, IS
convenient multples Of the pound in hnvin.
and selling. What that multiple sbonld he
was long ago settled in this country. Tcon.
ty-hye years ago Cincinnati, st. Louis and
SOM other commercial cities fo,maIIv
adopted one hundred pounds az the successor
o. the bushel and the blrrel, and called
that quantity a GENITAL. Therefore fif,v
pounds are half a GENITAL, TWENTY-FIVE
pounds quarter Genital, ten pounds a tenth
1sn.Ai, and 50 On. These cities were not SUD-
ported IN their attempt at reform bv tbe
business public, and the GENITAL fell into dis.
use Not everywhere, however; California
ai'o adopted the Genital, and shn retains It
n number Of mercantile exchanges have conn
ul1nieated with the New York produce OK.
CnAnge On this subject, heartily indorsine the
eentd' From Liverpool, England, also come