A decree from the French Ministry of the Interior, in the wake of a law passed on March 28, 1812, stipulated that "Grains and dry substances shall be measured, at retail, with a measure equal to 1/8 of a hectoliter, which shall be called boisseau, on the basis of which the double, half, and quarter measures shall be defined. Each of these measures shall have a distinctive name and the indication of its relationship to the hectoliter, namely: double boisseau = 1/4 hectoliter; boisseau = 1/8 hectoliter; demi-boisseau = 1/16 hectoliter; one-fourth of a boisseau = 1/32 hectoliter."