The West American Scientist. af 13 i 
The measures of surface are of course derived from those YS dee 
length. The unit of surface is the Are which 1s formed by | 
squaring the decametre; it contains 100 square metres and is equal 
to 1076.42 square feet. The Hectare equals 10,000 square me- 
tres and contains 2.471 English acres. 
The measures of capacity, like those of surfaée, are the result 
of multiplying the measures of length, The unit of capacity is 
the litre, and is produced by eubing the decimetre. The litre is” 
therefore a cube whose side measures 3.937 inches, and is conse- 
quently very close to the English quart. The decalitre is com- 
posed of 10 litres and is also called a centistere. The hectolitre _ 
or decistere contains 100 litres. The measures composed of 10_ 
or 100 litres do not make up into larger cubes themselves, they — 
are simply aggregates of the unit, For example, 10 or 100 wooden 
blocks each one the sizé of a cubic decimetre, or litre, cannot be- 
built up into a cube. It is not until we come to the kylolitre or 
1000 litres that we have the cubic form again. The kylolitre E 
the cubic metre and is also called the stere. The myriolitre or 
decastere is simply an aggregate of 10 cubic metres or 10,000 cubie 
litres. The fractional parts of the litre present the same fea 
ures as do the multiples. The millilitre is the one thousan 
weighed in vacuuo,* is the gram weight. The myriogram ¢ 
_ 22.046 Ibs. avoirdupo's. The myriogram multiplied by 10 
called a quintal, and the 100-myriogram isthe millier, or metric 
ton. Both these words are used without the Greek prefixes fo. 
~ should remember that the handicraftsman will be the one upon 
whom the inconvenience of the change will press most heavily. It 
__ *Page 250, Our Inheritance in the Great Pyramed, by Piazzi 
edition 3, 1877. : ee 
