The principal unit of wine-measure at Bordeaux, and some other continental ports, was the Velte, the equivalent of the German viertel which was 1/4 Rhineland cubic foot = 471·6 c.i. So our gallon tended to increase towards the measure of 235·8 c.i., the half-velte. It could not increase further than 231 c.i. without deranging its water-wheat ratio with the corn-gallon, already increased, temporarily at least, under Henry VIII to 282 c.i. But the principal reason for 231 c.i. was that this was the capacity of a cylinder 7 inches in diameter and 6 inches deep. It has always been desirable that market-measures should be of dimensions easily remembered and readily gauged with a foot-rule. The wine-gallon of 231 c.i., confirmed by the new measures made by Elizabeth’s order, was afterwards known as Queen Anne’s gallon. It is to this day the fluid gallon of the United States, Canada and Ceylon. The half-velte was the French _galon_, a word connected with _galloie_, _jallaie_, _jalle_, _jarre_, with our ‘jar’ and with ‘gauge,’ Fr. _jauge_. It may be mentioned that ‘velte’ sometimes meant a gauging-rod for wine-casks. The wine-gallon was divided into 2 pots, or 4 quarts or 8 pints. The wine-pint = 16·57 fluid ounces = 5/6 Imperial pint. _Cask Measures_ By 2 Henry VI (1423)— The wine-Hogshead was 63 gallons The Pipe „ 126 „ The Tun (tonnel) „ 252 „ (12 score and 12). Thus the hogshead (Flemish _okshoofd_, ox-head) was approximately 1/4 of the tun or fluid ton. 252 wine-gallons of 8 lb. = 2016 lb. The customary beer-barrel contained, and still contains, 36 gallons (now Imperial gallons). It is probable that it was originally a half-hogshead = 31-1/2 or 32 gallons, and that it rose as an indirect consequence of the statutory rise of the Cwt. and Ton. (This will be explained under Corn Measure.) The half-barrel of 18 gallons was called a Kilderkin, from the old Flemish word _kinderkin_, a little child. To it corresponded the Runlet of 18-1/2 wine-gallons (1483), the German Eimer or double Anker. The quarter-barrel of 9 gallons is a Firkin, a word in which _vierde_, a fourth, replaces _kinder_; so that in the fifteenth century it was a Ferdekyn. But the ale-barrel remained nominally at 32 gallons, its kilderkin at 16, its firkin at 8 gallons. This counterbalanced the increase of the ale-gallon to 282 c.i. How did this rise come about? The probable explanation is that the ale-gallon was really a corn-gallon of Henry VII and VIII; it disappeared for corn, but it remained for ale. 2. THE ALE-GALLON Henry III proclaimed on his accession that, according to Magna Charta, there should be but one standard of measure and of weight throughout the realm, one measure of wine, one measure of ale, and one measure of corn.