UNITED STATES WEIGHTS AND MEASURES. LONG MEASURE. For Measuring Length without regard to Breadth. 3 barley corns make 1 inch. 8 furlongs make 1 mile. 3 miles 1 league. 69 statute miles 1 degree. 60 geographic miles 1 degree. 360 degrees of the earth's circumference. 1 great circle CLOTH MEASURE. 1 nail. This Measure is used for measuring Goods sold by the Yard, Ell, &c. 24 inches make 3 quarters make 1 Flemish ell. 5 quarters 6 quarters 1 English ell. 1 French ell. NOTE.-By this measure land and Artificers' work are computed; also boards, pavements, plastering, painting and every dimension of length and breadth only. CUBIC OR SOLID MEASURE. 1728 cubic inches make 1 cubic foot. 46656 yard. 1 66 1 66 66 27 cubic feet. 1 ton. 66 1 ton. 1 ton. 16 1 cord foot. NOTE. The dry gallon contains 2684 cubic inches; The wine gallon contains 231 cubic inches; The beer gallon contains 282 cubic inches; Hence 14553 cubic inches = I hogshead of wine, and 15228 cubic inches: 1 hogshead of Beer. The same standards continued in use in Great Britain as late as the year 1826, when the Act of Parliament for "Uniformity of Weights and Measures" came into operation, by which the Imperial gallon of 277.274 cubic inches was substituted for the dry, beer, and wine gallon. AVOIRDUPOIS WEIGHT. By this are weighed hay, grain, groceries and all coarse articles. Formerly 28 pounds were reckoned for a quarter, making 112 pounds to the hundred, but the law and practice have made it nearly obsolete. TROY WEIGHT. By this weight are weighed Gold, Silver, Jewelry and all Liquors. NOTE.-An ounce of Gold is divided into 24 equal parts called carats, and an ounce of silver into 20 parts called pennyweights; therefore to distinguish fineness of metals, such Gold as will abide the fire without loss, is accounted 24 carats fine. If it lose 2 carats in trial it is called 22 carats fine, &c. A pound of Silver which loses nothing in trial is 12 ounces fine; but if it lose 3 penny weights it is 11 ounces 17 pennyweights fine, &c. NOTE. A heaped bushel is nearly more. The Winchester bushel (so called because the standard measure was kept at Winchester) is 18 inches diameter, and 8 inches deep. But if the corr. gallon contains only 268.8 cubic inches, the measure will be as follows: NOTE. The statute bushel is the Winchester, and contains 2150.42 cubic inches; but the number is supposed to vary in different states. In Connecticut it is 2198 which is 47.58 cubic inches larger than the Winchester bushel. The statute bushel of the State of New York contains 2211.84 cubic inches or 80 lbs. of pure water at a maximum density. A proposition has recently been made to the states by Congress for an uniform standard of Weights and Measures, but it has not yet been generally adopted. The Imperial measure of capacity for coals, lime, potatoes, corn in the ear, fruit, and other goods commonly sold by heaped measure, is of the following dimensions. The cone formed above the rim of the bushel should not be less than 6 inches. The outside diameter of the measure used for heaped goods, is to be, at least, double the depth; and consequently not less than the following dimensions: Or, to have the bushel contain the same amount even with the rim, let its dimensions be 194 inches inside diameter, and 9.43 inches deep. RELATIVE MINT VALUE OF FOREIGN GOLD COINS. By Law of Congress, August, 1834. |