21 



of superficial measure is 10 meters long by 10 meters wide, or, in otlier words, 

 is a square decimeter, and is called are. Tlie hectare (^100 ares) is equal to 

 about 2J acres. 



The measure of capacity is the liter, which is the cube of the decimeter, or 

 tenth of a meter. 



The unit of weight is the gram, which is the weight of the volume of water 

 contained in the cube of a centimeter when the water is at its greatest density. 



The long names of the French system constitute an objection which can be 

 easily avoided. They can be abbreviated so that the units wil be of one sylla- 

 ble, and the derivatives of two, and yet bearing sufficient resemblance to the 

 French terms to be easily identified. Meter, liter, and are should be met, lit, 

 and ar. Deka, hekto, and kilo should be dek, Jiek, and kil. Deci, cenii, and 

 milli should be des, cen, and mil. Then hektometer (100 meters) would be 

 hekmet, centimeter (y^ of a meter) would he cemnet. Hectoliter, (100 liters) 

 would be heklit, and deciliter (J^ of a liter) would be declit. So desirable do 

 I deem this nomenclature, partly for convenience, but chiefly to impress it upon 

 the public mind, that it will be used throughout the rest of this article. 



Mr. Fellowes, of Wolverhampton, England, has proposed a nomenclature 

 which would secure short names, but these names would be different in each 

 language, and would be entirely different from the French names. It is very 

 desirable to have the names in all languages so nearly alike, that they can be 

 recognized without hesitation, and the abbreviated nomenclature is the only one 

 which will secure this consideration, together with short names. 



As the metric system is entirely decimal, no red' ction is required, and there 

 is substantially but one measure of length, the 7net, one of the area, the ar, one 

 (rf capacity or cubic measure, the let, and one of weight, the gram. It is not ne- 

 cessary to point out the irregularities and inconveniences of our present system. 

 How many of the readers of this article can recite our tables of weights aud 

 measures without making several mistakes ? How many can tell without cal- 

 culating how many feet are in a mile, or how many cubic inches in a gallon 1 



It requires but little study to understand the meaning of the terms met, ar, 

 lit, and gram. ; and but little mental exertion to remember that dek, Iwk, kil, 

 des, cen, and mil indicate respectively 10, 100, 1,000, J^ j^^ toVo- When 

 these simple facts are learned the metric system is, for all practical purposes, 

 mastered. 



The reader must not suppose that it is necessary to use all these terms. We can 

 call 40 dollars either 4 eagles, 400 dimes, or 40,000 mills, but we seldom use 

 these terms. In France dekar and dcsar are seldom or never used, although 

 as correct as hektar and centar. For all ordinary purposes the following terms 

 would probably be found sufficient : the met, cenmet, and kihnet, (about -f^ of 

 a mile,) the ar and hektar, the lit (about If pint,) and killet (about 20 gal- 

 lons,) the grain (nearly 16 grains troy,) and kilgram (about 2g lbs. troy.) 



Some of the advocates of the metric system have been perplexed by objec- 

 tions urged by advocates of what is loosely called the binary system, but prop- 

 erly called the sexdecimal system. A sexdecimal system of notation would be 

 preferable to the decimal system ; but with the latter system exclusively iu use 

 throughout the civilized world, it is useless to talk of establishing another, and 

 the adoption of a sexdecimal system of weights and measures, with the present 

 system of notation, would not avoid the necessity of reduction, as the metric 

 system does ; besides, it woidd be commencing anew instead of comjdeting 

 what France has begun. Since 1S40 even the names of the old weights and 

 measures have been interdicted in France. 



Two anomalies exist iu France, which it is hoped will not be introduced into 

 other countries. Apothecarjes' weight swerves from the system, and stere is 

 sometimes used instead oi killet. As stere and killet are each precisely equal 

 to a cubic met, the use of the former term mars the simplicity of the ysteni. 



