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