A quartaut of 8 veltes, 8 × 1·76 = 14·08 gallons, would have been in water-wheat ratio with the corn half-setier = 17·16 gallons:
14·08 × 1·22 = 17·17.
And the setier divided into 8 parts would have given a larger boisseau = 4·29 gallons (a peck) corresponding in water-wheat ratio to the double velte of 4 gallons and measuring approximately 1000 cubic pouces (983 exactly); its side, when of cubic form, being almost 10 pouces, and thus affording an easily applied linear measurement as a check on the variation of the boisseau. The standard of this measure was most variable from want of such a check. Really, as 1/12 Setier it should have been 655·4 cubic pouces, but it varied between 644 and 677, its reputed capacity being 640 cubic pouces.
It would have been easy to have fixed the new boisseau at 1000 cubic pouces, raising the variable standard of the Setier to 8000 cubic pouces = 34·9 gallons instead of its reputed standard = 34·32 gallons.
By these slight alterations perfect accordance with the southern measures would also have been obtained.
Leaving the measures of length and surface which were sufficiently concordant, the measures of capacity would have been:
| Wine-measure | Corn-measure | |||||||
| Muid | = | 56·32 | gallons. | Muid | = | 34·9 | bushels | |
| = | 4·36 | qrs. | ||||||
| 1/2 „ | = | 28·16 | „ | (8) Setier | = | 34·9 | gallons | |
| Quartaut | = | 14·08 | „ | = | 8000 | c.p. | ||
| (8) Boisseau | = | 4·36 | gallons | |||||
| (8) Velte | = | 1·76 | „ | = | 1000 | c.p. | ||
| (8) Pinte | = | 1·76 | pint. | 16 Litron | = | 2·18 | pint. | |
A water-wheat ratio of 1 : 1·24 would have been preserved between the two series, and their connection with linear measures through a cubic boisseau of 10 pouces each side (or a cylindrical one of 10 pouces diameter and 11·4 pouces in height) would have been most advantageous.
It may seem futile to make these proportions 120 years too late, but they may be useful in showing how unnecessary was the revolutionary plan of uprooting the old measures.