MAT 



MAT 



MASTICK TREE. See Pistacia. 



MAT, GARDEN, a sort of covering formed 

 of bass, which is much used in gardening, for 

 sheltering various sorts of plants in winter and 

 spring, in frosty and other cold weather ; and 

 in suninier for shading many sorts of young or 

 tender kinds occasionally from the sun ; and 

 many other purposes in the ditierent garden de- 

 partments. 



They are of different sorts in regard to size 

 and substance, there being small, middling, and 

 large sizes : but for general use, those "called 

 Russia Mats are superior, both in size, sub- 

 stance, and durability. It may also be proper 

 to have some of the smaller or middling sizes 

 tor particular occasions, and small ijardens, in 

 which, for some purposes, they may be more 

 convenient than large ones. They are sold by 

 most of the principal nursery and seedsmen', 

 at from six or eight to twelve or fifteen shillings 

 per dozen, according to size and strength. 



They are also of essential use in all hot-bed 

 work, for covering or spreading over the lights or 

 glasses of the frames in the nights, in winter and 

 spring, to exclude the external night cold ; also 

 occasionally in the day time in very severe wea- 

 ther, and heavy falls of snow or rain. 



Likewise for occasionally covering several sorts 

 of small young esculent plants with, in the full 

 ground in beds and borders, in these seasons ; 

 as young lettuces, cauliflowers, small -sallad 

 herbs, early radishes, &c. in the open beds, and 

 under frames and hand-glasses, to defend them 

 from cutting frosts, snow, and other inclement 

 weather : and sometimes in raising, transplant- 

 ing, or pricking out small or moderate portions 

 of particular sorts of plants, both of the hardy 

 and tender kinds, whether of the esculent or an- 

 nual flowery kinds in the spring, on beds or 

 borders of natural earth, or in hot-beds, with- 

 out frames, by being arched over with hoops or 

 rods. They are likewise extremely useful in the 

 spring and summer, in hot, dry, sunnv weather, 

 in shading several sorts both in seed-beds before 

 and after the young plants are come up, and in 

 beds of pricked-out small young plants, to shade 

 them from the sun till they take fresh root ; as 

 also for shading the glasses of hot-beds occa- 

 sionally, when the sun'is too powerful for parti- 

 cular sorts of plants in the heat of the day, as in 

 Cucumbers, Melons, and various other kinds. 



In kitchen and other garden districts furnished 

 with wall-trees, they are of great use in spring 

 to cover the trees of particular sorts with when 

 in blossom, and when the young fruit is setting 

 and advancing in its early growth after the de- 

 cay and fall of the bloom ; by which assistance, 

 in cold winters and springs, when sharp frosts 



somelimes prevail, a tolerably good crop is often 

 saved, while in trees fully exposed the whole is 

 cut oft' by the severity of such weather. 



In the flower-garden and pleasure-ground, 

 Mats arc also found useful on different occasions ; 

 in the former, in sheltering beds of curious sorts 

 of choice flower-plants, and both in their ad- 

 vancing growth, to protect them from cold in 

 winter and spring; and when in full bloom, to 

 shade and screen the flowers from the sun and 

 rain, to preserve their beauty more effectually, 

 and to continue them longer in blow of a 

 fine lively appearance ; as w ell as to cover beds, 

 &c. in raising various tender annual plants from 

 seed in the spring; and in the latter occasionally 

 in winter to defend some kinds of curious tender 

 evergreens, &c. such as some of the Magno- 

 lias, Broad-leaved Myrtle, Olive, Tea free, 

 &c. when standinsr detached and trained against 

 walls. " ° 



And in nurseries, they are of considerable 

 utility in the propagation and culture of nume- 

 rous sorts of tender curious exotics, in defending 

 them from cold, and shading from scorching 

 sun, while they are in their minor growth, &c. 

 They are necessary also for matting round bun- 

 dles or baskets of tender or curious plants, when 

 conveyed to a distance. 



They are also of great use occasionally in se- 

 vere winters on such glass-work as green-houses, 

 hot-houses, forcing-frames, &c. in covering the 

 glasses externally on the nights, and occasion- 

 ally in the day time. 



In using these Mats, when the ends are open 

 or loose, they should be secured by tying the 

 end threads or strings of the bass close and firm, 

 otherwise they soon ravel out loose in that part, 

 and are spoiled. 



When made use of in the work of covering 

 and shading, &cc. they should generally in un- 

 covering, if rendered wet by rain or snow, be 

 spread across some rail, hedge, or fence, &c. 

 to dry, before folding them together, that they 

 may be preserved from rotting, otherwise they 

 will not last long. 



These Mats should never have anv bass drawn 

 out of them for tying up plants with, as is too 

 commonly the practice, as by such means they 

 are soon spoiled. 



MATRICARIA, a genus containing plants 

 of the hardy herbaceous perennial kind. 



It belongs to the class and order Syngenes'ia 

 Fohjgamia Superfina, and ranks in the natural 

 order of ConpositcE Discoidce. 



The characters are : that the calyx is common 

 hemispherical : scales linear, imbricate, almost 

 equal, not scariose : the corolla compound radi- 

 ate: corollets hermaphrodite, tubular, iranrerous. 



