CHAPTER XL

MEASURE FOR MEASURE

“A pint’s a pound the year around,” said a little old lady dealing out some lead shot, to a young man gunner, who received a pint of shot for his pound and went off thinking he had begun his hunt with augury well imposed! “What’s lighter, a pound of feathers or a pound of lead?” These two idea rousers never would have been born were it not for the average ignorance and negligence of weights and measures in the average time-bound home. True it is, if we are time-run we certainly are inaccurately measured and weighed, especially in our kitchens--where over-doses may injure, where under-doses and over-doses may ruin recipes!

There is really no need for this--we have had careful training in _our_ youth with “tables.” Recall herewith when absolutely perfect.

AVOIRDUPOIS

27.3 grains equal 1 dram (dr.) 16 drams “ 1 ounce (oz.) 16 ounces “ 1 pounds (lb.) 100 pounds “ 1 hundred weight (cwt.)

DRY MEASURE

2 pints equal 1 quart (qt.) 8 quarts “ 1 peck 4 pecks “ 1 bushel 105 dry qts. “ 1 bbl.--vegetables etc.

LIQUID MEASURE

4 gills equal 1 pint 2 pints “ 1 quart 4 quarts “ 1 gallon 31¹⁄₂ gals. “ 1 bbl.

LINEAR MEASURE

12 inches equal 1 foot 3 feet “ 1 yard 5¹⁄₂ yards “ 1 rod 320 rods “ 1 mile } not quite indoors 1760 yards “ 1 mile } but useful to know 5280 feet “ 1 mile }

SQUARE MEASURE

144 sq. inches equal 1 sq. foot 9 “ feet “ 1 “ yard 30¹⁄₄ “ yards “ 1 “ rod 160 “ rods “ 1 acre

These are the classics over which we of the ancient régime trembled but which, in the new régime, youth imbibes in unwitting doses and grows in spite of itself into engineers and surveyors!

Yet for you and me there are still tables that may be of use and L. Ray Balderston in her _Housewifery_ has published one which is worthy of quoting:--

4 saltspoonfuls equal 1 teaspoonful 3 teaspoonfuls “ 1 tablespoonful 16 tablespoonfuls “ 1 cupful 2 gills “ 1 cupful 2 cupfuls “ 1 pint 1 cup “ 8 fluid ounces 32 tablespoonfuls “ 1 pound of butter 2 cups of butter “ 1 “ “ “ 4 “ “ flour “ 1 “ “ flour 2 “ “ sugar “ 1 “ “ sugar 5 “ “ coffee “ 1 “ “ coffee 1⁷⁄₈ “ “ rice “ 1 “ “ rice 2²⁄₃ “ “ oatmeal “ 1 “ “ oatmeal 2²⁄₃ “ “ cornmeal “ 1 “ “ cornmeal 1 cup of liquid to 3 cups of flour equal a dough 1 “ “ “ “ 2 “ “ “ “ thick batter 1 “ “ “ “ 1 cup of flour equals a thin “

To neutralize

2 teaspoonfuls of soda to 1 pint of sour milk 1 teaspoonful “ “ “ 1 cup of molasses ¹⁄₂ “ “ cream of tartar and one teaspoonful of soda equal 2 teaspoonfuls of “home brew” baking powder.

But what of all this if we use a tea cup one time, a coffee cup at another for measuring, a dessert spoon one time, teaspoon another etc?

There is but one way to take the guess out of home cookery and that is have a set of approved scales, dry and wet measures.

A salt-spoon _is_ a salt-spoon, even as a rake is a rake and not a hoe--a teaspoon has a standard size even as a peck is a peck and a quart is a quart. Those things have governmental regulation--and you should, of course profit by them.

In some communities you can buy weights and measures sealed with government approval. When possible this is a good thing. Always find out, however, before buying whether they have the sanction of the Standard Bureau in Washington. Or what _your_ community’s regulation may be.

Suppose you asked for a yard of ribbon in one shop and got short measure? You would _soon_ detect it. Yet daily and hourly you accept a peck of “this” or a quart of “that” and never measure it when you get it home.

Home telephoning for groceries and meats have permitted more short selling than Wall Street ever dreamed of!

Every kitchen should possess the series of spoons--attached to one pivot. This set includes: salt spoon (¹⁄₄ teaspoon), 1 teaspoon, ¹⁄₂ teaspoon, a metal (aluminum preferred) measuring cup with designations of ²⁄₃, ¹⁄₃, ³⁄₄, ¹⁄₂, ¹⁄₄, a glass cup divided into quarter cups for high convenience.

The glass graduate with spout, measuring a pint or a quart divided into easily read divisions is a joy in any kitchen.

Then it is easy to have a dry measure such as a quart wooden container--to measure things as they come from the grocer.

SCALES AND MEASURES

Scales must be like Cæsar’s wife “above suspicion”--tested by local authorities for accuracy and worth the understanding that you will have them officially tested and “blessed” and sealed by the “Sealer.”

There are many kinds of scales--avoid the kind which has a spring under the pan as the spring unless a very expensive one gets out of order. The hanging pan spring scale is generally good with per 10 to 20 lbs. capacity. It registers the weight automatically on the pan. The folding scale of the steelyard type is fairly accurate at a reasonable outlay and folds against a wall and is out of the way if not weigh. The counter beam or balance scale is most accurate if you have table space and promise to remember where you put the weights. It requires care as you have to do the marking by hand and no dial tells you the story. They are more expensive but more accurate. For all purposes the scale should be able to record from 1 lb. to 10 up to 30 lbs.

LIQUID MEASURE

The quota here can comfortably be: 1 quart measure, 1 pint, and ¹⁄₂ pint--a 4 ounce graduate sub-divided to 1 dram or less. When buying those they should be cylindrical or conical with top diameter smaller than bottom diameter. These are purchasable in metal, enamel ware, etc. Must be made to wear; seamless and easily cleaned. The markings on these should be clear enough to avoid the gawky game of “Guess.”

To avoid error in reading cone-shaped graduate, you will see that the subdivisions are more at base than at the top. “A 4 ounce graduate may be subdivided to ¹⁄₂ dram for each 2 drams, to 1 dram for the next 6 drams, to 2 drams for the remaining capacity up to 2 ounces and to 4 drams, or half an ounce for the interval between 2 and 4 ounces. In filling or reading, it should be held level and readings made at the _main_ surface of liquid. Disregard the creeping up of the liquid on the width of glass.” (This is governmental bulletin advice.)

DRY MEASURE

Here the quota can be a nest of measures from ¹⁄₂ bushel to 1 quart. These measures should be of metal or well varnished wood bound by a metal or some sort of band on top. Cylindrical here is the best style. If conical have them with their tops 10% or ¹⁄₁₀ larger than bottom diameter.

For your help:

Diameters of ¹⁄₂ bushel should be 13³⁄₄ inch 1 peck “ “ 10⁷⁄₈ “ ¹⁄₂ “ “ “ 8¹⁄₂ “ 2 quarts “ “ 6⁵⁄₈ “ 1 quart “ “ 5³⁄₈ “ 1 pint “ “ 4 “

LENGTH MEASURE

How many a step has been wasted looking for a yard measure, etc. Why not have a measuring corner in the kitchen and add to it 1 yard measure or a tape 3 to 6 feet long? Isn’t that easy enough? A yard stick of course should be of well measured wood plus metallic ends or all of metal. It is most convenient if sub-divided not only into feet, inches and fractions, but into fractions of a yard. The more fractions really the less fractious will be your measurements.

PRESERVING ETC.

For testing accurately water densities, hydrometers are used. If in your community you intend to do a lot of preserving or candy making, even in your own home the saccharimeter (a kind of hydrometer) will take the guess work out of the necessary thickness of a syrup’s density. This is a short weighted spindle graduated from 0-70. When placed in water, the spindle rests on the bottom of the vessel and the reading at the surface is zero. As the density is increased, the spindle rises until when the solution is saturated with sugar at the temperature indicated--the reading is 100. This is an inexpensive one, another type mercury weighted is more expensive and more accurate. The vessel must be same depth as saccharimeter. A narrow vessel is best, so if you are doing much preserving a 250 cubic centimeter glass cylinder or a brass saccharimeter cup is the “easiest way.” Buy the cylinder and thermometer with hydrometer. Temperature affects densities; with the three tools you are sure.

THERMOMETERS

Thermometers are useful things, if they are _accurate_ and as nearly unbreakable as possible. There are a few good ones on the market.

We cannot advocate the oven-door thermometer as there is hardly one which can stand the onslaught of banging and remain in on its accurate pinnacle!

Many a good stove and many a bad one have inveigled purchasers because of their neat little thermometer on their oven doors. They work all well and good for a while but you know a thermometer is a “dainty” instrument and must be kept well to keep well. However, there are many good thermometers built for pretty rough use--rough as any good instrument may be treated, which of course should never _be_ rough.

The home could really afford the bath thermometer, the house thermometer, the kitchen and last and least the clinical thermometer, but the kitchen thermometer takes the guess work out of ovens’ heat and prevents the “Fall of Doughs” a catastrophe like unto few in awfulness! It does away with thrusting one’s hand in an oven to find out through our uncertain senses how hot is the oven, and often prevents a well burned finger, tongue when tasting or whole body when carelessness creeps in.

The thermometer is no half measure! It is a real necessity--it conquers feelings and tells the truth. If we are slaves to time in this world, why not switch our allegiance to the thermometer! Then with thermostats our rooms will be habitable because they have the right degree of heat, not because _one_ feels it too hot and another feels it too cool, and too our food will not be wasted by under cooking or over cooking.

Buy only the best thermometers--others add girth to the junk-pile--and here we _must_ practice _girth_ control with all our vigor. Other thermometers useful at home are for incubator, deep fat frying, refrigerator, pasteurizing milk etc.

SOME PRECAUTIONS

Quantity as well as quality is necessary in household economy. For this reason, it is well to consider a few precautions and as there are a few confusing things in even our “tables” it is best to drive ourselves up to them like a timid horse is lead to face the terror that causes him to shy and free himself from terror.

The avoirdupois pound is larger than the Troy or apothecaries’ pound--avoirdupois is 7000 grains and the latter is 5760. But the troy or apothecaries’ ounce is larger than the avoirdupois ounce. Troy and apothecaries’ weight differ in the division of drams, scruples and grains (apothecaries’).

APOTHECARIES’ WEIGHT

20 grains equal 1 scruple 8 scruples “ 1 dram 8 drams “ 1 ounce 12 ounces “ 1 pound

TROY WEIGHT

24 grains equal 1 pennyweight 20 penny wgt. “ 1 ounce 12 ounces “ 1 pound (Troy)

In purchasing drugs and chemicals for the home, you may need to know these differences. Avoirdupois system should be used generally in bulk buying. But unless stiff regulations exist in your vicinity the apothecary is prone to sell all by the apothecary system. Troy weight is used by precious metal purveyors so the house is little concerned here.

FLUID OUNCES--WEIGHT OUNCES

Like the “Pint’s a pound” fable so does “all ounces look alike to me” prevision disaster! The liquid ounce and the weight ounce _are not the same_. [In Great Britain, however, the fluid ounce of _water_ does weigh an ounce avoirdupois.]

DRY AND LIQUID QUARTS AND PINTS

Without strict ordinances in your part of the world pretty confusion exists in the leveling of dry and liquid dissimilarities. The dry quart is 16% larger than the liquid--so you see the loss incurred if liquid measure is used for a dry purchase! When you buy a quart at the hardware store for home use, you can find out whether it is dry or liquid by filling it with _water_. The dry quart measure should weigh 2 pounds 6³⁄₄ ounces, the liquid quart would hold but 2 pounds 1¹⁄₃ ounces of _water_.

UNCERTAIN QUANTITIES

The barrel measure is _somewhat uncertain_--_It is best to find out your state regulations._ The barrel differs according to state law and commodities sometimes. March 1915 a law was passed by (National) Congress. This applies to all dry commodities except such as have been sold by weight or numerical count (flour, sugar and cement). The standard barrel has a capacity of 105 dry quarts. The liquid barrel’s capacity is generally marked on its side.

SACKS AND BAGS

You are prone to “get the sack” here unless you are careful. There are usually 94 pounds of cement to the sack and 100 pounds of sugar. In the case of flour the weights are usually in multiples of a barrel ¹⁄₂, ¹⁄₄, ¹⁄₈ etc. expressed in pounds, but the custom is growing to drop the ¹⁄₂ pound, ¹⁄₄ pound, and ¹⁄₈ pound, from the weight of ¹⁄₈, ¹⁄₁₆, and ¹⁄₃₂ barrel size and make their weights 24, 12 and 6 pounds. (Barrel of flour has 196 pounds.) Potatoes generally weigh 2¹⁄₂ bushels to the sack--according to weight per bushel in your own State.

HEAPED BUSHEL--BULKY VEGETABLES, FRUITS ETC.

In different states the heaped measure is heaped differently, in some the measure is heapable to the point where the commodity falls “down and out,” in others the cone above the measure has certain lawful dimensions--So find out before you are fooled.

In buying peas, dried beans etc. be sure they are measuring your purchase by _dry_ not by liquid measures--or you will lose 15% of your purchase!

BASKETS

Basket sizes are just about standardized to 2 quart, 4 quart and 12 quart baskets.

BOXES FOR FRUITS

A national law says that the standard basket or boxes or container for small fruits, berries and vegetables shall be of the following capacities:--Dry half pint, dry pint, dry quart, or multiples of the dry quart.

CORDS OF WOOD

Practice differs here in large measure--Purchasers must find out local laws. In most States a cord of wood is 128 cubic feet--in piles 3 × 8 × 4 foot lengths. The lengths, however, into which wood is cut in some places is 3, or 2, or 1¹⁄₂ feet! Measurements are sometimes made before and sometimes after splitting. The basket in some states measures fractions of cords, occasionally it is equal to a heaped bushel, in other states it is more specifically designated. Look up your laws, here all your safety lies!

CONTAINERS

Finally, check up the contents of your containers and notify the makers; you will help the public and the manufacturer. Statements of weight are in avoirdupois terms. Packages of 2 pounds or less are exempt from marking, and containers below 1 fluid ounce come under this exemption. Notify the maker if loss exists; it is a public service.

Losses often occur from evaporation, leakage, bad packing, and consequent deterioration before opening. The manufacturer will be glad to get a notification if he is of integrity so that he can take steps to correct his measure. Here is real need for a good scales and measuring cups.

The contents of a cylindrical can or paint pail can be determined:

Measure circumference with a tape.

“ height “ “ “

Diameter of can equals ⁷⁄₂₂ of circumference.

Subtract from circumference a slight amount for thickness of can.

Multiply the result by itself and the product of ¹¹⁄₁₄.

This result should be multiplied by height of can less proper allowance for inset and thickness of ends.

The result (if you have used inches) will be the cubic contents (in inches,) it can be reduced to gallons or fraction of a gallon by dividing by 231.

These precautions are only a few in the course of home buying. But we hope they will be suggestive.

Know your state laws.

No home should be--no matter what its scale--without a scale, a liquid, as well as a dry set of measure.

It is wisest to buy and sell by weight as the heaping systems vary. It is fairest to customer and more comfortable to merchant. If you and every one insist on this fashion--it will prevail in the future.

ADDITION AND RECAPITULATION

Finally we have added to our familiar weights, measures, thermometers and scales--the hydrometer for candy making, preserves etc., the water meter which you don’t realize is working away in your home, the electric meter which silently subtracts coin from your pocket too, the gas meter which is just as financially obstreperous and if you are inquisitive meteorologically you may too have a barometer to tell the atmospheric pressure and presage the weather and the hygroscope or psychrometer which will measure the humidity in the air. These things are the measures which will take the “uncertain” out of your domestic sailing and be an all encompassing compass for all your goings, comings, and weighs.

But above all don’t forget the egg timer--or the clock for without these two things marriage can be a brittle thing and homekeeping an anarchy.

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