Metrication and the farmer
Rhodesian Farmer — March 27th 1970
Like everyone else in Rhodesia, farmers will be affected by metrication. Rhodesia is going metric, because the metric system has many advantages over the old imperial System. Though there may be temporary inconveniences during the changeover it will eventually be found much easier to work in metric units. The opportunity will also be taken to standardise as much as possible during the conversion, to get rid of unnecessary sizes of items and packaging.
Over the next few years more and more commodities are going metric, and we should try to become familiar with the new units. Fuel, oil, rations, farm produce, pesticides, veterinary supplies, seed, fertilisers, building materials, machinery and so on will eventually be metricated. All farmers will be involved, but technical and professional advice will be freely available, as in the past, to work out fertiliser application, seeding rates, dosages, water applications, building quantities, specifications, and the like.
Rhodesia is adopting the international or “S.I.” metric units and will endeavour to keep pace with metrication in neighbouring South Africa. The world trend is toward metrication, and already three quarters of international trade is in metric terms.
To become familiar with the more common units affecting farmers, the following brief description is given:—
Mass: The correct term for the amount of matter in an object is mass. Weigh is the pull of gravity on an object, and differs from place to place. The standard unit of mass is the kilogram (1 00C grams), which is approximately 2 1/5 lbs A thousand kilograms (kg) equals one tonne (t), which will replace long and short tons.
Length: The standard unit is the metre (m) which can be divided into 1 000 millimetres (mm), while 1 000 metre: equals one kilometre (km), replacing the mile. A metre is 39.4 inches, while; kilometre is 5/8 mile. Speeds will be in kilometres per hour (km/h).
Area: The square metre (m2) is the standard unit; but the hectare (ha) which is 100 m x 100 m (10 000 m2) is approximately 2.5 acres and will be the unit normally used to describe the area farms.
Volume: The cubic metre (m3) is the standard unit, but the litre (1) will be most commonly used. There are 1 000 litres in a cubic metre, while 1 000 millilitres (ml) equals one litre (1.76 pints). One gallon is approximately 4£ litres. A cubic metre is about 220 gallons.
Temperature: The Celsius (C) scale, which is the same as centigrade, will replace Fahrenheit.
0°C = 32°F (Freezing point of water)
37°C = body temperature
20°C = pleasant room temperature
100°C = 212°F (boiling point of water)
Power: Power will be expressed in watts (W), and kilowatts (kW), instead of horsepower. I h.p. = 746 watts or .746 kilowatt.
Rainfall: will be measured in millimetres (mm). One inch = 25 mm approx., and 10 mm = 40 points.
Pressure: will be measured in bars (bar). One bar is almost the same as atmospheric pressure at sea level.
To make the transition easy, every effort should be made to think only in metric terms, trying to forget the old imperial units. It will be easier to make metric calculations because it is a decimal system, and well-rounded numbers will replace the awkward figures involved with the imperial units. The change will be to everyone’s advantage in the long run.