Scots gardener's rood

We have encountered this unit only in an article by A. McKerral:

Scots Gardener's Measure. —An inquiry concerning this measure was received at H.M. Register House some years ago from a firm of solicitors in Fife. The land in question was described as “32 roods of ground or thereby of Scots Superficial Gardener Measure, lying in the Town of Torrie and Parish and Barony thereof and Shire of Fife.” The Gardener's Rood was identified as being the equivalent of the old Scots burgh rood which, according to Fragmenta Collecta (vol. i, p. 751 of the Acts of Parliament), was 20 (linear) feet of the average man. If this is squared and multiplied by 32 the equivalent of the 32 roods gardener measure is found to be 47 poles imperial measure, and when the plot at Torrie was surveyed it was found to be almost exactly this area. The measure appears to be peculiar to the County of Fife.

A. McKerral.
Ancient Denominations of Agricultural Land.
Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland, vol 78 (1944).
Page 77. Mr. McKerral thanks William Angus, of the Records Dept., for bringing this to his attention. Note that this is not the interpretation of the area of the burgh rood offered by Hunter in 1624, who said it was 20 square feet.

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