AGRICULTURAL WEIGHTS AND MEASURES. 



THE METRICAL OB DECIMAL SYSTEM. 



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

 which the terms for multiplying are Greek, and those for dividing are I^tin : 



For multipliers, the word 



Deca prefixed means 10 times. 



Hecto 100 times. 



Kilo 1000 times. 



Myria 10,000 times. 



On the contrary, for divisors, the 



word Deci expresses the 10th part. 



Cejiti 10(<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 is 

 a square decametre, equal to 3955 English perches. 



The stere is the element of cube measure, and 

 contains 35.317 cubic feet English. 



The litre is the element of all measures of capacity. 

 It is a cubic decimetre, and equals 2"1135 English 

 pints. 100 litres make the hectolitre, which equals 

 26-419 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. 



32-80916 feet. 



328-09167 feet. 



Decimal System. 



Millimetre 



Centimetre 



Decimetre 



Metre 



Decametre 



Hectometre 



Kilometre 1093-6389 yards. 



Myriametre 1093638900 yards, or 



6 miles, 1 furlong, 28 poles. 



Superficial Measures. 



Centiare 1-1960 square yards. 



^deSSe?] 1^9-6046 square yards. 



Decare 11960460 square yards. 



Hectare 11660-4604 square yards, 



or 2 acres, 1 rood, 35 perches. 



I Decimal System. 

 Hectolitre 



Measures of Capacity. 



Millitre ... 



Centilitre 



Decilitre ......... 



Litre (a cubic 7 

 decimetre) 3 



Decalitre ~ 610-28028 cubic inches, 



or 2-642 wine gallons. 



0-06103 cubic inches. 



0-61028 cubic inches. 



610280 cubic inches. 

 5 61-02802 cubic inches, 

 \_ or 21135 wine pints. 



British arbitrary System. 



, 3-5317 cubic feet, or 



26-419 wine gallons, 22 Imperial gal- 

 lons, or 2839 Winchester bushels. 



Kilolitre 35-3171 cubic feet, or 



1 tun and 12 wine gallons. 

 Myrialitre 353-17146 cubic feet. 



Solid 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 15-4340 grains. 



Decagramme 154-3402 grains, or 



564 drams avoirdupois. 



Hectogramme 3-2154 oz. troy, or 



3-527 oz. avoirdupois. 



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



or 2 lb. 3 oz. 4.428 drams avoirdupois. 



Myriagramme 26-795 pounds troy, 



or 22-0485 avoirdupois 



Quintal 1 cwt 3qrs. 251b. nearly. 



Millier, or Bar 9 tons 16 cwt. 3qrs. 121b. 



THE FRENCH SYSTEME USUEL. 



The Systhne Usuel has the metrical standards for its basis ; but their divisions are binary ; 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. See. 



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

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

 it led to many difficulties, insomuch that in 1816 the syst&me usuel was enforced by 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 sysihme tisuel 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 ^^^ of the foot. 



The aune usuelle equals 3 feet 11^ 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 i of the hectolitre, and equals 0-35474 English bushels, with halves, quarters, &c. 

 in proportion. 



The let7-on usuel equals 1"074 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 3.876 grains poids de marc, or 3798 grains usuels, and also answers to 201 decigrammes, or 

 3^ English 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. 10^ drams 

 avoirdupois ; and therefore the quintal metrique of 100 kilogrammes answers to 220-486 lb. avoirdupois, 

 orlcwt. 3qrs. 24| lb., 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 ivith the British System. 



Cotnparison 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 18-5 



Quarter 125 4 C 925 



Avoirdupois, 

 lb. oz. dr. 

 2 

 1 



Eighth .. 



Once 



Half 



Quarter . 

 Gross .... 



Troy Weight. 

 Grammes, lb. oz. dwt. gr. 



31-3 

 15-6 



7-8 

 3-9 



2 



1 



10 



5 



2 



4-5 

 2-25 



, 1-125 

 0-5 



12-25 



Avoirdupois. 



lb. oz. dr. 



2 Si 



1 If 



H 



2i 



