GLOSSARY 339 



Inoculate : to give a disease by inserting the germ that causes it in 



a healthy being. 



Insectivorous : anything that eats insects. 

 Kainit : salts of potash used in making fertilizers. 

 Kernel : a single seed or grain, as a kernel of corn. 

 Kerosene emulsion : see Appendix. 



Larva (plural larvae) : the young or immature form of an insect. 

 Larval: belonging to larva. 



Layer : to propagate plants by a method similar to cutting, but differ- 

 ing from cutting in that the young plant takes root before it is 



separated from the parent plant. 

 Legume : a plant belonging to the family of the pea, clover, and 



bean; that is, having a flower of similar structure. 

 Lichen : a kind of flowerless plant that grows on stones, trees, boards, 



etc. 



Loam : an earthy mixture of clay and sand with organic matter. 

 Magnesia : an earthy white substance somewhat similar to lime. 

 Magnify : to make a thing larger in fact or in appearance ; to enlarge 



the appearance of a thing so that the parts may be seen more easily. 

 Membrane : a thin layer or fold of animal or vegetable matter. 

 Mildew : a cobwebby growth of fungi on diseased or decaying things. 

 Mold : see mildew. 

 Mulch : a covering of straw, leaves, or like substances over the roots 



of plants to protect them from heat, drought, etc., and to preserve 



moisture. 

 Nectar : a sweetish substance in blossoms of flowers from which bees 



make honey. 

 Nitrate : a readily usable form of nitrogen. The most common nitrate 



is saltpeter. 

 Nitrogen : a chemical element, one of the most important and most 



expensive plant foods. It exists in fertilizers, in ammonia, in 



nitrates, and in organic matter. 

 Nodule : a little knot or bump. 



Nutrient : any substance which nourishes or promotes growth. 

 Organic matter : substances made through the growth of plants or 



animals. 

 Ovary : the particular part of the pistil that bears the immature seed. 



