Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1911-11-11
HOW MUCH IS A BUSHEL7
The United states standard and tn,
Variations of Different
states.

The principal work OF the bureau OF
standards IN Washington Is 20 establish
scientifically accurate standards for the
weights and measures used in the United
States. Recently the bureau has been
engaged in gathering statistics 70 show
the legal weight OF bushel OF different
commodities, as fixed either by national
legislation for the purposes OF the GUS
toms or by state legislatures for the pur-
poses OF trade within states.
In the case OF few commodities only
such as wheat. oats and peas, arc the
legal weights uniform throughout the
country, and in many cases they differ
widely. Neither do the legal weights
which the bureau has listed represent a
volume equal to the bushel Of 2.i5O.4g cubic
inches--the United states bushei, so-
called.
On account OF the variations in tho
denHities OF commodities In different To-
calities and In different seasons Il is inn
possible 10 FIX with any degree OF Ger.
tainty the weight OF a given volume OF
any commodity such as potatoes. apples.
coal or corn. Since therefore the actual
weight can be fixed only approximately
Il Il important that In transactions In
which the bushel measure 10 used II be
distinctly understood which bushel 10
meant; that Is, whether volume OF
s,i60As cubic inches or a certain number
pounds. Since these two definitions OF
the bushels are contradictory the bureau
recommends that all sales be made by
weight as IL now the practice in ali
transactions IN wheat.
There are elghty-four commodities for
which legal weights In pounds to the
bushel have been generally adopted by
the states The list begins with alfalfa
seed and ends with wheat. both OF which
run sixty pounds TO the bushei Apples
range between forly-flye and fifty pounds
20 the bushel; dried apples, twenty-four
20 twenty-eight; barley. forty-seven TO
forty-eight. and 30 on.
The llst includes vegetables, fresh and
dried. seeds Of many kinds. charcoal, coal,
berries. meats. nuts, lime. fruits, salt ana
popcorn.
In some cases the United States stand
ard has been adopted; IN other cases
where there IL no United States standard
the states have had 10 fix their own. In
some instances there Ia a considerable
difference In the standards. For example,
malt ranges from thirty 20 thirty eight
pounds 10 bushel and popcorn from
forty-two In the ear In Ohio to seventy
shelied In Iowa. when such great differ
ences occur. however. there is usually n
reason, such a. the presence or absence
OF the cobs. Knowing this traders make
proper allowances. II Is interesting 20
notice that peas, clover seed and wheat
are all rated at sixty pounds TO the bushel
and that IN these commodities such states
IS have standard make Il conform to
that OF the federal government.
Here IL a list OF the United States stand
ara weights for all the commodities for
which Il has been est ablishod:
Barley. nifty; buekwheat. forty-two; BIZ
luminous coal. eighty. corn, flfty-six;
oornmeal, forty-eight; raxseed Qlnseed).
nfty-six; malt. thirty-four; oats. thirty
two; peas, sixty; potatoes. sixty; rye.
nfty-slx; wheat, sixty.
The table published by the bureau OF
standards Is valuable 10 the middleman
who deals with producers In various parts
OF the country II is also valuable 10 the
ttatisticisn who may want 20 ascertain.
Tor example, the difference IN the cost OF
living between certain localities. With
out knowing accurately how much OF a
given product there is in a bushel the
ordinary man would be wholly al a loss
70 know whether or not he was getting
like quantity for Ike money.
II the time arrives when goods are sold
oy universal standard throughout the
union such q table as the one lust de
Eeribed VIII become unnecessary. Unm
then II Il useful both 20 the producer OF
crops and the oonHRmer.-Youth's Com
paniOn.