Liquid Neasure.—The measurement of wine and other liquors, molasses, vinegar, and the like, has been the oc casion of great confusion due to vari ations of the standard unit of liquid capacity, the gallon. The gallon was originally a standard unit of weight. But as an equal bulk of various sub stances differs in weight, early usage led to the adoption of two different gallons, wet and dry, and the gallon is still used as a unit of both wet and dry measure in Great Britain. The gallon at present the standard in the United States had its origin in an English statute passed shortly after the discovery of America by Colum bus. A new standard gallon measure was constructed capable of holding 8 pounds of wheat of 12 ounces troy each. This was afterwards deter mined by statute to contain 268.8 cubic inches of water at a temperature of 62° F. The Winchester gallon, as this standard was called, having been gen erally adopted in the United States, it became ultimately necessary to es tablish national standard for cus tomhouse purposes. Accordingly, by resolution of the United States Sen ate, on May 1, 1830, the Secretary of the Treasury procured the construc tion of a set of uniform standard weights and measures to be supplied to all the customhouses. For this purpose a Winchester gallon of water, at a temperature of 39.83° F., was taken as the standard, and this was afterwards legalized by Congress. Hence the legal capacity of the gal lon, the present United States stand ard, was fixed at 231 cubic inches of water. As a result there is a consid erable discrepancy between the Brit ish Winchester and the so-called American Winchester gallon, the pres ent United States standard.
In the meantime, by an act of English Parliament, which went into effect January 1, 1826, the capacity of the British gallon was made such as to contain 10 pounds avoirdupois of distilled water at the temperature of .62° F. or 277i cubic inches nearly. This is the so-called Imperial gallon, and since its introduction has been the only legal gallon in Great Britain for either wet or dry measure.
The reason that it is necessary to state these facts in detail is that works of reference in the English language circulate quite generally through all English speaking coun tries, and it is quite custoinary to copy reference tables from one to an other on the assumption that stand ard units of weights and measures are invariable. This, however, as has been seen, is not the case. Hence it is nec essary in making use of any published recipes or similar information where great accuracy is required, to ascer tain whether the British Winchester, the American Winchester, or the British Imperial gallon is referred to. The only standards that are of 'universal application throughout the civilized world are those of the metric system.
Tables of Liquid Measure.—The following is the United States stand ard of liquid or mine measure: 4 gills 1 pint (pt.) 28i cu. in.
2 pmts 1 quart (qt.) 57f cu. in.
4 quarts 1 gallon (gal.) 231 cu. in.
311 gallons 1 barrel (bbl.) 2 barrels 1 hogshead (hhd.) 63 gallons 1 hogshead (hhd.) 2 hogsheads 1 pipe or butt (pi.) 2 pipes 1 tun.
282 cu. m 1 beer gallon.
36 beer gallons 1 barrel.
The following is a table of the measure of capacity based upon the British Imperial gallon, which is in general use throughout the British Empire: Measure of Capacity for All Liquids.
5 ounces avoirdupois of water make 1 gill.
4 gills 1 pint 341 cu. in. nearly.
2 pints 1 quart 69-1 cu. in. nearly.
4 quarts 1 gallon =, 2771 cu. in. nearly.
311 gallons 1 barrel.
42 gallons 1 tierce.
63 gallons or 2 bbls 1 hogshead.
2 hogsheads 1 pipe or butt.
2 pipes 1 tun.
The British Imperial gallon must contain exactly 10 pounds avoirdupois of pure water at a temperature of 62° F., the barometer being at 30 inches. It is the standard unit of measure of capacity for liquids and dry goods of every description, and is * larger than the old wine measure, larger than the old dry measure, and less than the old ale measure.
The following are terms in wine measure —more frequently used in England than in this country—with comparative capacity in British and American gallons: 18 U. 8. gallons 1 rundlet.
25 Eng, gallons or 42 U. S gallons 1 tierce.
2 tierces 1 puncheon.
621 Eng. gollons or 63 U. S gallons 1 hogshead.
2 hogsheads 1 pipe.
2 pipes 1 tun.
7-i Eng. gallons 1 firkin of beer.
4 &Inns 1 barrel of beer.
Comparison of Liquid and Dry Measnre.—The capacity of bins for grain is usually measured in bushels, and the capacity of casks, cisterns, and the like, in gallons or barrels. In determining the capacity of cisterns and reservoirs, 31i gallons are consid ered a barrel, and barrels or 63 gal lons tt hogshead.
In commerce the size of casks for liquids is variable, barrels being made to contain from 30 to 40 gallons or more. Casks of large size called tierces, pipes, butts, tuns, etc., do not now hold any fixed quantity. Their capacity is usually marked upon them. While the standard liquid gallon con tains 231 cubic inches in approximate measurements, 7i gallons are allowed to the cubic foot. As compared with the weight of water, a gallon will hold a little over 8i pounds, which is near enough for practical purposes.
In comparison with dry measure, the United States standard bushel contains 2150.4 cubic inches, the liq uid gallon 931 cubic inches, and the dry gallon (the former British Win chester standard—k bushel) 263.8 cu bic inches. Hence 6 dry gallons equal nearly 7 liquid gallons. The British Imperial gallon contains 277.274 cu bic inches or 10 pounds of distilled water, temperature 62° F., barometer 30 inches. The beer gallon contains 282 cubic inches, but it is not now in use. Hence the following rules to find the capacity of bins, cisterns, etc.