BUCKBEAN BUG. 



639 



ox; the fruit being in shape like an ox's horn. It is 

 a tree common in Jamaica, belongs to Decandria 

 Digynia, and to the natural order Combretacece. The 

 tree affects low swampy lands near the sea coast ; it 

 is remarkable for its slender crooked branches, and 

 the tufted disposition of the leaves ; growing to a 

 considerable size, it is reckoned an excellent timber 

 tree, and the bark is used by tanners. 



BUCKBEAN is the Menyanthes of Linnaeus. It 

 receives its generic name from men, a month, and 

 nnt/im, flower, because it remains that time in blossom. 

 The flower is pentandrious, and belongs to the 

 natural order Geiitianeae. There are two species, 

 both aquatic plants: M. trifoliata is a common 

 British plant, and one of the most beautiful of 

 the British Flora. It is said that it is used in Sweden 

 as a substitute for hops, two ounces of the leaves 

 being considered equal to a pound of hops. It is 

 also used medicinally, and recommended in cases of 

 dropsy and rheumatism. 



BUCKLER MUSTARD is the B'ucutella of 

 botanists, so called from bis scutella, a- double shield, 

 the form of its seed-vessel when bursting. There 

 are several species, all inferior plants. 



BUCKTHORN is the Rhamnus of Linnaeus, a 

 genus comprising thirty species of ornamental shrubs, 

 chiefly evergreen, They are Pentandrious, and give 

 name to a natural order, namely, Rhamnece. The 

 R. alati-rnm has already been noticed as a comnlon 

 and favourite shrubbery plant, of which there are 

 nine varieties. Many of the others are found wild 

 on the continent, and two are indigenous to England, 

 viz. R. catliarticus, and R. fmngula. The berries of 

 the first are sold as French berries, used to stain 

 paper and maps; the juice mixed with alum makes 

 sap-green ; but if the berries be gathered late in the 

 autumn the juice is purple; the bark dyes a fine 

 yellow. The R. lyc'undcs furnishes the wood of which 

 the Moguls make their images, on account of its 

 hardness and orange-red colour. R. sajcatilis resem- 

 bles catharticus. The berries are used to dye the 

 morocco leather yellow. The leaves of the Rhamnus 

 Tec-ana are used as tea by the poor in China. 

 R frangida, found in British woods, have dark purple 

 berries, which are purgative. Gathered before they 

 are ripe, they dye wool green and yellow; when 

 ripe, blue-grey, blue, and green. The bark dyes 

 yellow, and with preparations of iron, black. The 

 berries of this sort, and- also those of the cornus, are 

 sometimes sold for those of the buckthorn; but they 

 are easily distinguished, the true buckthorn having 

 four seeds, the frangida two, and the cornus one. 



BUCK WHEAT is the Polygonum fagopyrum 

 of Linmeus. The generic name signifies many- 

 jointed, being the true character of the stems. The 

 specific name should be Beech-wheat, because the 

 seeds resemble beech-mast in shape. This plant is 

 supposed to be a native of the warmer parts of Asia, 

 though it is found apparently wild in many parts of 

 Europe. It is impatient of frost, and therefore can 

 only succeed in those months when no frost occurs. 

 Its growth is rapid, and it is very prolific, sometimes 

 yielding five or six quarters per acre. As an agri- 

 cultural plant, it is of considerable value as food for 

 all sorts of poultry, wild and tame. For cattle of 

 every kind it should be given with other food in 

 moderation, because it is of so hot a quality, that it 

 will poison sooner than fatten even a hog. Swine 

 fed with buck-wheat alone become restless, and 



almost raving mad ; and if near water, are in great 

 danger of drowning themselves, so much are they 

 tormented with the inflammatory effects of the grain. 

 To the distiller it yields a stronger spirit, bulk for 

 bulk, than any other kind of corn. Much of the 

 demoralising spirit gin is compounded of this grain ; 

 a worse ingredient could not be thought of. How 

 the peasantry on the continent manage to use it in 

 bread is unaccountable, unless it be that the spirit is 

 dissipated by the oven. The health of horses are 

 very often hurt by being allowed too much buck- 

 wheat. One bushel mixed with five of oats is quite 

 enough ; and one bushel ground with two of barley 

 is as much as even pigs should be fatted with. 



It is only the farmer who employs light sandy or 

 gravelly land that can grow buck-wheat, who, by sow- 

 ing it, gains an advantage quite independent of its 

 value. In fallowing such land for the purpose of sowing 

 common wheat, it often happens that he gets his field 

 perfectly clean before the beginning of June. If, at 

 that time, he sows the land with buck-wheat, it will rise 

 quickly, and shade the ground all the summer ; and 

 when dissevered, about the beginning of October, the 

 ground will be left in better heart for the ensuing 

 crop of common wheat, than if no intermediate crop 

 had been taken. This is a consequence of shading 

 the land during the summer drought, keeping down 

 weeds, and having a rich succulent stubble to plough 

 on. This plant is also sowed about the beginning of 

 August, for the purpose of being wholly ploughed in 

 as a dress ; but for a crop of the grain it should be 

 sowed any time between the twentieth of May and 

 fifth of June. One bushel sows an acre. 



BUDDLEA (Linnaeus). Named in honour of a 

 Mr. Buddie, an amateur of botany. There are ten 

 species of this family, all more or less ornamental, 

 and all tender, except one, the B. globosa, which 

 stands our winters pretty well, if it receives the least 

 shelter. The flowers are small and yellow, but, 

 being united in globular heads above an inch in 

 diameter, pretty fully distributed over the branches, 

 make a showy appearance. The B. ncemda is said 

 to be one of the handsomest plants in Nepal, of which 

 it is a native. The buddleas belong to the order 

 Scrophidareas. 



BUFFONIA (Willdenow). Named after the 

 celebrated French naturalist, Count Buffbn. It 

 belongs to Tetrandria Digynia, and to the natural 

 order Caryophyllets. Its generic character is : calyx 

 of four sopals, having membranous edges ; petals 

 four, shorter than the calyx ; stamens shorter than 

 the corolla ; capsule oval, one-celled, two-valved ; 

 seeds two, compressed. There are only two species ; 

 one is, though rarely, found in England ; the other 

 in France. The specific name of the English one, 

 Tetnrifolia, slender-leaved, was given by Linnaeus, 

 as expressive both of the leaf and of the slender 

 pretensions to botanical distinction of the Count after 

 whom it was named. It is said by another author, 

 that Linnaeus, to show his disrespect for the Count, 

 slily dropped an /in the name ! 



BUG. The name of a disgusting insect belonging 

 to the Linnaean order Hemiptcra, section Heteroptera, 

 Latreille, and distinguished systematically by the 

 name of Cimex Icctnlarius. It may seem almost super- 

 fluous to give a description of this insect, the very 

 name of which produces a nauseous sensation, yet its 

 peculiar characters as well as several points in its 

 economy are not destitute of interest, and we trust that 



