Following a mentality stimulating Skype session with John last night, I came to realize that some might not have understood my reference to a measurement in “US Buckets,” in a comment to Casey’s posting "Steam Power." Further, since the US Bucket measurement is not in Wikipedia, the Gospel source of all information, let me explain.
A bucket is a unit of volume, though it is considered generally informal. In the U.S., many commodities (both wet and dry) are sold in plastic buckets holding 5 U.S. liquid gallons (about 18.927 liters). Now that I live in Texas, which is a big state and we know that everything in Texas is big, it makes perfect since to use large, very large, measuring devices. If my kitchen could accommodate a barge, which is equivalent to 1.34E+08 ounces, living in Texas, I would have defaulted to that.
Since I have no scruples, let me continue. Since this blog is beginning to generate numerous postings, I believe it will not be long until it goes international. Thus understanding other units of measurements are important. For instance, if a Brit said he used 96 scrulpes of water to increase the atmospheric moisture level in his over, for baking bread, of course, then we should understand that that is equivalent to 4 ounces of water.
3 fluid scruples= 1 fluid drachm= 60 minims
8 fluid drachm= 1 fluid ounce
I hope this has clarified my use of the measurement US Bucket and tonight while I am talking about technical interests with my friend John, I will be enjoying 4 gills of beer.
