194 THE FARMER xT HOME. 



stronger manure than that yielded by parrots or pigeons whiten live 

 on berries and grain. Although the use of guano in this country is 

 of recent origin, within the last ten years there have been imported of 

 it about 650,000 tons. 



GUINEA PIG-. An animal of the hare kind, resembling a rab- 

 bit, but is less in size. It is a native of the warmer climates, but has 

 long been rendered domestic over the world ; in some places it is con- 

 sidered the principal favorite, and is often found even to displace the 

 lap-dog. Its colors are different ; some are white, some are red, 

 and others both red and white. The male and the female are 

 never seen both asleep at the same time ; but while he enjoys his 

 repose, she remains on the watch, silently continuing to guard him, 

 and her head turned towards the place where he lies. When she 

 supposes he has had his turn, she then wakes him with a kind- of 

 murmuring noise, goes to him, forces him from his bed, arid lies down 

 in his place. He then performs the same good turn for her, and con- 

 tinues watching till she also has done sleeping. 



GUM. Is the mucilage of vegetables, and is of no particular 

 smell or taste. It becomes viscous and tenacious when moistened 

 with water ; totally dissolves in water into a liquid, more or less glu- 

 tinous in proportion to the quantity of the gum ; not dissolving in 

 vinous spirits or in oil ; burning in the fire to a black coal, without 

 melting or catching flame ; suffering no dissipation in the heat of 

 boiling water. The true gums are gum arabic, gum tragacanth, gum 

 senega, the gum of cherry and plum trees, and such like. All others 

 have more or less of resin in them. 



GUM ARABIC. Is the produce of a species of Mimosa. Its 

 chief use in medicine is from its glutinous quality, which serves to 

 incrassate and obtund their acrid humors, and thus is useful in coughs, 

 alvine fluxes, hoarsenesses, gripes, &c. In a dysuria the true gum 

 arabic is more cooling than the other simple gums. One ounce of 

 gum arabic renders a pint of water considerably glutinous ; four 

 ounces give it a thick syrupy consistence ; but for mucilage, one part 

 gum to two parts water is required ; and for some purposes an equal 

 proportion will be necessary. Hasselquist relates an instance of the 

 extraordinary nutritive virtues of this gam, which happened to an 

 Abyssinian caravan, whose provisions were consumed, when they had 

 still two months to travel. They were then obliged to search for 

 something among their merchandize wherewith they might support 

 nature ; and found nothing more proper than gum arabic, of which 

 they had carried a considerable quantity along with them. This 

 served to support above one thousand persons for two months ; and 

 the caravan at last arrived at Cairo, without any great loss of people 

 either by hunger or diseases. 



GYPSUM. A substance well known to the ancients, and one 

 that is very abundant in nature, and is now denominated, according 



