AGRICULTURAL WEIGHTS AND MEASURES. 



XX! 



THE METRICAL OR DECIMAL SYSTEM. 



In order to express the decimal proportion, the following vocabulary of names has been adopted, in 

 which the terms lor multiplying are Greek, and those for dividing are Latin : 



For multipliers, the word 



Dcca prefixed means 10 times. 



Hccto 100 times. 



Kilo luuO times. 



Myrtd 10,000 times. 



On the contrary, for divisors, the 



word Deci expresses the 10th part. 



Centi 101 th part. 



Milli 1000th part. 



Thus, Decametre means 10 metres. 



Decimetre the 10th part of a metre. 



Kilogramme 1000 grammes, &c. 



The are is the element of square measure, and la 

 a square decametre, equal to SB55 English perches. 

 The itere is the element of cube measure, and 

 contains 35.317 cubic feet English. 



The litre is the element of all measures cf capacity. 



It is a cubic decimetre, and equals 21135 English 



pints. 100 litres make the hectolitre, which equals 



i 26'4I9 English gallons, or 2838 Winchester bushels. 



The decimal Weights and Measures of France, compared with the Weights and Measures 

 at present considered the National Measures of Britain. 



Long Measures. 



British arbitrary System. 



003937 inches. 



0-39371 inches. 



3-93710 inches. 



39-37100 inches. 



3280916 feet, 



328-09167 feet 



Decimal System. 



Millimetre 



Centimetre 



Decimetre 



Metre 



Decametre 



Hectometre 



Kilometre 109363H9 yards. 



Myriametre lu;-3d-.jSOi.n yards, or 



6 miles, 1 furlong, 28 poles. 



Superficial Measures. 



Centiare 1 -I960 square yards. 



Are i a square} „.,„,„ , 



decametre) j J 19 ' 6046 s 1 uare >' ards - 



Decare 1196-0460 square yards. 



Hectare 11660-4604 square yards, 



or 2 acres, 1 rood, So perches. 



Measures of Capacity. 



Millitre 0-06103 cubic inches. 



Centilitre 061028 cubic inches. 



Decilitre 6 10280 cubic inches. 



Litre (a cubic ) J 61 02802 cubic inches, 



decimetre) J ]_ or 2 1 135 wine pints. 



Decalitre 610 28028 cubic inches, 



or 2t342 wine gallons. 



Decimal System. British arbitrary System. 



Hectolitre 3-5317 cubic feet, or 



26'419 wine gallons, 22 Imperial gal. 



Ions, or 2'839 Winchester bushels. 



Kilolitre 353171 cubic feet, or 



1 tun and 12 wine gallons. 

 Myrialitre 35317146 cubic feet 



So/id Measures. 



Decistere 3 5317 cubic feet. 



Stere (a cubic metre) 353174 cubic feet. 



Decastere 3531714 cubic feet 



Weights. 



Milligramme 0'0154 grains. 



Centigramme 01543 grains. 



Decigramme 15434 grains. 



Gramme 154340 grains. 



Decagramme 1543402 grains, or 



5 64 drams avoirdupois. 



Hectogramme 3-2154 oz. troy, or 



3-527 oz. avoirdupois. 



Kilogramme 21b. 8 oz. 3 dwt. 2gr. troy, 



or 2 lb. 3oz. 4.4-8 drams avoirdupois. 



Myriagramme 26795 pounds troy, 



or 22-0485 avoirdupois 



Quintal 1 cwt. 3qrs. 251b. nearly. 



Millier, or Bar 9 tons 16 cwt. 3 qrs. lilb 



THE FRENCH STSTEME USUEL. 



The Systhne Usvtl has the metrical standards for its basis ; but their divisions are binarv ; and instead 

 of the new nomenclature, the names of the ancient weights and measures are used, annexing the term usuel 

 to each : thus, the half kilogramme is called the livre usuelle, and the double metre, the toise usuelle, &c. 



This system was legalised by an imperial decree in 1812, for the use of retail traders, and the decimal 

 system was continued tor all other kinds of business and measurement : but as the law was left optional, 

 it led to many difficulties, insomuch that in 1816 the systeme usuel was enforced bv a royal decree, 

 in which the use of weights or measures decimally divided is absolutely prohibited in shops or any 

 departments of trade connected with retail business, while the decimal system is confirmed for all 

 other purposes. 



As the systeme usurl has the metre and gramme for its basis, any of its divisions may be easily com. 

 puted from the foregoing tables. The following, however, are the contents of its principal units in Eng. 

 lish measure : — 



The toise usuelle of 2 metres equals 6 feet 6f inches English. 



The pied usuel equals \ of the toise, and the inch J, of the foot. 



The aune usuelle equals 3 feet ll± inches English, with all its divisions in proportion. 



The long measures are also divided into thirds, sixths, and twelfths, which are easily computed from 

 the foregoing dimensions of the toise and aune. 



The boisseau usuel is | of the hectolitre, and equals 0"S5474 English bushels, with halves, quarters, &c. 

 in proportion. 



The litrou usuel equals 1074 Paris pints, with halves, quarters, &c. in proportion. 



Apothecaries have adopted the systeme usuel in compounding medicines ; which weight, in small quan- 

 tities, scarcely differs from the poids de marc. 



Diamonds are still weighed by carats of 4 grains each; but these grains differ from the foregoing: thus, 

 1 carat equals 3.S76 grains poids de marc, or 3798 grains usuels, and also answers to 2 01 decigrammes, or 



Sto En S !isn grains. 



The livre usuelle = 500 grammes = 9413-575 grains poids de marc, or 7717 English grains ; and all its di- 

 visions and multiples in proportion. Hence the common pound of France equals 1 lb. 11 oz. 104- drains 

 avoirdupois; and therefore the quintal metrique of 100 kilogrammes answers to 220486 lb. avoirdupois, 

 or 1 cwt. 3 qrs. 24Jlb., which is 1000 grains less than has been hitherto reckoned, on account of the undue 

 proportion allowed to the French weight {Kelly's Cambist, vol. i. p. 140 ) 



The Systeme Usuel of the French, compared with the British St/stem. 

 Comparison of Weight. 



Troy Weight. 

 Grammes, lb. oz. dwt. gr. 



Kilogramme 1000 2 8 3 2 



Livre usuelle 500 1 4 1 13 



Half 250 8 o 1S5 



Quarter 125 4 9"25 



a 3 



