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EARTHS. 
ican thorns, might be grafted on 
Crate\gus parviftora, or C. viridis, 
which are about two feet high; and 
the common British, or any of the 
large-growing American Oaks, on 
the Bear-oak, Quércus Bannistéri, 
or ilicifolia, which grows to the 
height of about three feet. 
Herbaceous plants, whether an- 
nual or perennial, may be dwarfed, 
by growing them first in very small 
pots, gradually increasing in size 
every time; taking care that each 
pot shall be well drained, and that 
the soil used to fill up the pots shall 
be a rich sandy loam. Thus treat- 
ed, and supplied with abundance of 
water, which is not suffered to re- 
main round the roots, and kept in 
an open situation, where they can 
have plenty of light and air, and 
not be exposed to cold winds, all 
herbaceous plants will become bushy 
and compact, and will produce 
flowers at the extremity of every 
shoot; while, on the contrary, if 
suffered to remain in small pots, 
they will become drawn up, with 
weak naked stems, and produce 
comparatively few flowers. 
EK. 
Eartus.—Most amateur garden- 
ers confound the words earth and 
soil; but they are quite distinct. 
There are only three primitive 
earths, viz., lime, sand, and clay; 
and these, by the admixture of other 
substances, and particularly of de- 
eayed animal or vegetable matter, 
become soils. Thus lime, by ab- 
sorbing carbon, changes to chalk, 
and becomes the basis of all calea- 
reous soils; and clay, mixed witha 
little sand, and decayed animals and 
vegetables, becomes loam. When 
sand predominates in this composi- 
tion, or when pure sand is added to 
it. the soil ic called sandy loam, and 
this is the viry best of all soils for 
195 
EARWIG. 
vegetation; and when chalk or 
lime is added, instead of an extra 
proportion of sand, the soil is called 
calcareous loam, and is admirably 
suited for culinary vegetables, &c., 
and some kinds of flowers. Gravel 
is a kind of coarse sand ; and sand- 
stone, sand in a solid state. Peat 
is not properly an earth, but decayed 
vegetable matter, which has been 
saturated with water, while the pro- 
cess of decomposition was going on. 
Earta Pesa.—Ldthyrus amphi- 
carpos—An annual Pea, which 
forms part of the flowers and pods 
under ground; and which, though 
not very beautiful, is often cultivated 
for its singularity. It is a hardy 
annual, and should be sown in 
March or April. 
Earwic.—Forficula auriculdris. 
—A well-known insect, that, by a 
singular chance, has obtained a bad 
character for the mischief that it 
does not do; while that which it 
really does, passes comparatively 
without notice. Many persons de- 
stroy earwigs whenever they see 
them, from a fear of their creeping 
into the ear, and, by eating through 
the drum, occasioning deafness— 
though this is what they cannot do ; 
while but few persons, except flo- 
rists, are aware of the great mis- 
chief that they do in flower-gardens, 
and that they should be destroyed 
on that account, with as much care 
as slugs, snails, or lice. They are 
particularly fond of attacking flow- 
ers in the bud; and they destroy, in 
this manner, creat numbers of Dah- 
lias and Carnations. They also at- 
tack bulbous-rooted plants, and all 
flowers that have plenty of petals 
Many expedients have been devised 
to catch these troublesome insects, 
and, among others, troughs of wa- 
ter have been placed round particu- 
lar plants. (These are, however, 
of no avail, as the earwigs are fur- 
nished with wings, though they are 
so delicate in their texture, and fold 
* 
