AND GENERAL HORTICULTURE. 



411 



SES 



Sesqui. A prefix, which, used in Latin com- 

 pounds, signifies one and a half, as Sesqui- 

 pedalis, one and a half feet. 



Sessile. Sitting close upon the body that sup- 

 ports it witliout any sensible stalk. 



Sesu'vium. A small genus of Ficoidecp, inter- 

 esting principally as containing the Samphire 

 or Seaside Purslane of the West Indies {S. 

 Portulaca-sfrum), which, "with S. repens, both 

 found on the sea-shores, are edible and are 

 used as pot herbs, though they have rather a 

 salt taste. One or two of the species are in 

 cultivation. 



Seta. A bristle of any kind ; a bristle tipped 

 ■ with a gland ; a slender prickle. 



Seta'ria. Bristly Fox-tail Grass. From seta, a 

 bristle ; the involucrum is bristly. Nat. Ord. 

 Graminacecc. 



An extensive genus of grasses, mostly annu- 

 als and of but little interest. 



Setigerous. Bearing bristles. 



Setose. Bristly ; covered with stiff hairs. 



Seville Orange or Bitter Orange. Citrus vul- 

 garis. 



Seyme'ria. Named for Henry Seym^r, an Eng- 

 lish naturalist. Nat. Ord. ScrophulariacecB. 



A genus of annual or perennial herbs, natives 

 principally of northwest America. S. pec- 

 tinata and S. tenuifolia, both native annual 

 species, are in cultivation, and are very pretty 

 plants when in flower. 



Shad-Bush. See Amelanchier. 



Shaddock. Citrus decumana. 



Shading. In this latitude, where the sun's 

 rays are so powerful, shading is imperative 

 for nearly all plants grown under glass dur- 

 ing the hot and often dry and sultry summer 

 months. More particularly is this the case 

 with stove and green-house plants, very few 

 of which can be successfully grown under 

 glass without more or less shade. As a per- 

 manent shading has the effect of weakening 

 the plants, because they do not get sufficient 

 light in dull weather, a system of fixing 

 thin blinds to rollers which may be drawn up 

 in dull weather is, perhaps, the best method. 

 A great variety of material is procurable for 

 this purpose, and, for a small "lean-to" or 

 span-roofed house, a screen of light canvas, 

 muslin, or "protecting cloth" (which see), 

 arranged on the outside, so that it may be 

 wound up on a roller when not wanted, will 

 answer, and if it be desired to keep the 

 house as cool as possible, this should be so con- 

 trived that there will be a space of sis inches 

 or so between that and the glass. But upon 

 a large house, or one with a curvilinear roof, 

 this is not so manageable, and we find the 

 best method is to spatter the glass outside 

 with a preparation of naphtha and white lead 

 made so thin as to resemble skimmed milk. 

 This can be put on by a syringe at a cost of 

 not over twenty-five cents for every thousand 

 square feet of glass. When first done it 

 should be spattered very thinly, merelv to 

 break the strong glare of the sun, just about 

 thick enough to cover half the surface. As 

 the season advances, the spattering should 

 be repeated to increase the shade. Roses, 

 Bouvardias, Smilax, Poinsettias, Primulas, 

 etc., however, do not require more of the ma- 

 terial at any time than just to cover the glass. 



SHA 



Frames, small green-house, etc., are easily 

 shaded by means of a lattice made of common 

 laths. Strips of inch stuff, an inch and a half 

 or two inches wide, are used for the sides of 

 the lattice, and laths are nailed across as far 

 apart as their own width. One lath being 

 nailed on, another is laid down to mark the 

 distance, the third one put down and nailed, 

 and the second lath is moved along to mark 

 the distance for the fourth, and so on. With 

 a screen of this kind there is abundant light, 

 but the sun does not shine long at a time on 

 one spot, and the plants have a constantly 

 changing sun and shade. This lath screen 

 may be used for shading plants in the open 

 ground, if supported at a proper height above 

 them. In a propagating house, where it is 

 necessary, as it often is, to shade cuttings, a 

 lattice laid upon the outside of the glass an- 

 swers a good purpose. The laths are some- 

 times tied together with strong twine, the 

 cord answering the place of slats, and serv- 

 ing as a warp with which the laths are woven ; 

 the advantage of a screen of this kind being 

 that it can be rolled up. Another and excel- 

 lent screen to shade is to make frames thi-ee 

 by six feet of the "Protecting Cloth " already 

 alluded to. Plants kept in windows during 

 summer months will, if in a sunny exposui'e, 

 require some kind of a shade, and, if the one 

 provided to keep the sun from the room shuts 

 out too much light, or excludes air as well as 

 sun, something must be provided which will 

 give protection during the heat of the day, 

 and still allow sufficient light and an abund- 

 ant circulation of air. Any one with ingenu- 

 ity can arrange a screen of white cotton cloth 

 to answer the purpose. 



Shallot. Allium Ascalonicum. The Shallot or 

 Eschalot is a native of Palestine, especially 

 near the once famous city of Ascalon, whence 

 its specific name. It was first introduced 

 into England in 15-18, and has ever since been 

 cultivated to a considerable extent, and used 

 in the same manner as the Onion. It is highly 

 esteemed for pickles. Several varieties have 

 been noticed ; the only difference, however, 

 seems to be in the size, which may properly 

 be attributed to the cultivation, as it is 

 largely upon this that the size depends. 

 Shallots are grown to a considerable extent 

 in the vicinity ot New York. The bulbs are 

 planted one foot between the lines and six 

 inches between the plants, in October, and 

 are marketed in the green state the following 

 May. From the early maturing of the crop, 

 they are always very profitable, though grown 

 to a much less extent than Onions. Increased 

 only by division. 



Shamrock. The national flower or symbol of 

 Ireland. So accepted because, according to 

 tradition, St. Patrick used it to illustrate his 

 teaching of the doctrine of the Trinity to the 

 natives. Like the Scotch Thistle, antiqua- 

 rians are in doubt as to the true Shamrock. 

 Many think it is the Trifolium repens or com- 

 mon White Clover ; others that it is the small 

 yellow Clover, Trifolium minus; while num- 

 bers declare, and with much probability, that 

 it is not a clover at all, but the common Wood 

 Sorrel, Oxalis Acetosella. "English writers 

 mention it as having been used as food in 

 Irelaml after the devastation caused by the 

 wars of the sixteenth century. By persons 



