BREAD-ROOT. 



which may be formed, by a proportionate ad- 

 mixture of wheaten flour, into palatable bread, 

 and advantageously employed in the manufac- 

 ture of this indispensable article of human 

 sustenance. (Bra-tide's Diet, of Science and Art; 

 M'Culloi-h's Corn. Did.; Penny Cyc. vol. v.; 

 Wittich'9 Domes. Enryc.) 



BREAD -ROOT (P&oralea esculenta}. A 

 shrubby or herbaceous perennial plant found 

 on the elevated plains of the Missouri. Its 

 roots are eaten both raw and boiled, the latter 

 being the most common way of cooking it 

 adopted by the Indians. By cultivation it is 

 made to produce abundant crops. The taste 

 of the root is rather insipid, its texture being 

 laminated, always tenacious, solid, but never 

 farinaceous, like the potato. It is somewhat 

 medicinal, operating as a diuretic. 



Other species of Psoralea are also found on 

 the Missouri and tributaries, among which are 

 the P. canescens, and P. cuspidata, both of which 

 are described as having large, tuberous, and 

 ramified roots. The last species is known 

 imong the Canadian boatmen by the name of 

 Pomine de Prairie," or meadow potato. The 

 P. lanccolata, or elliptica, grows in great quan- 

 ities together on the sandy banks of the Mis- 

 ;ouri, from the river Platte to the mountains, 

 lowering in July and August. Ft sends up 

 ;hoots in every direction through the sand, in 

 vhich soil it is exclusively met with. The 

 tern is about a foot high and the leaves aro- 

 natic when bruised. The P. lupinelliu is 

 bund from South Carolina to Florida, though 

 lot in abundance. It is a very singular plant, 

 he leaves being so narrow as scarcely to be 

 'istinguished from the petiole, and two or three 

 nches long, extremely deciduous when dry. 

 The P. virgata is met with in West Florida. 

 With very few exception!!, says Nuttall, this 

 renus of plants producing esculent roots is 

 ndigenous to North America and the Cape of 

 !Jood Hope. 



BREAKING (Goth, brikan; Sax. bjtecccen). 

 n rural economy, the bringing of an animal 

 under subjection. The breaking of a colt is 

 commonly, especially for race-horses, com- 

 menced when he is much too young ; for this, 

 as for all other breeds of horses, too much 

 Cf.ution and gentleness can hardly be used. 

 (Darvill. On Training). Of dogs, spaniels 

 should begin to be broken in at five or six 

 months old. The water-spaniel, according to 

 old Markham, as soon as "even when you first 

 weane him;" and, according to Blaine (Encyc. 

 of Rural Sports'), the education of a pointer or a 

 setter should commence at five or six months. 



BREAKING UP. A term that is often ap- 

 plied to such lands as are ploughed from leys, 

 jor which are cut or pared for the purpose of 

 eing burned. 



BREAST-PLATE. The strap of leather 

 hat runs from one side of the saddle to the 

 )ther over the horse's breast, in order to keep 

 he saddle tight, and hinder it from sliding 

 backwards. 



EASTS. Pact of the bows of a saddle. 



BREED (Sax. hpteoan). A sort or variety 

 rf any kind of live-stock. The breeds of most 

 iornestic animals are numerous, and distin- 



uished by certain invariable marks or ap- 



BREEDING-PONDS. 



pearances peculiar to each, as in cattle, sheep, 

 horses, and swine. See these different heads. 



BREEDER. In agriculture, a farmer who 

 is much employed in breeding and rearing 

 animals of any of the domestic kinds. 



BREEDING IN AND IN. The breeding 

 from close relations. "This plan," says Pro- 

 fessor Youatt (Cattle, p. 525), "has many, 

 advantages to a certain extent. It may b*e 

 pursued until the excellent form and quality 

 of the breed are developed and established, ft 

 was the source whence sprung the fine cattle 

 and sheep of Bakewell, and the superior cattle 

 of Colling ; but disadvantages attend breeding 

 ' in and in,' and to it must be traced the speedy 

 degeneracy, the absolute disappearance of the 

 new Leicester cattle, and in the hands of many 

 an agriculturist, the impairment of constitution 

 and decreased value of the new Leicester 

 sheep and the short-horned beasts. It has 

 therefore become a kind of principle with the 

 agriculturist to effect some change in his stock 

 every second or third year: and that change 

 is most conveniently effected by introducing a 

 new bull or ram. These should be as nearly 

 as possible of the same sort, coming from a 

 similar pasturage and climate, but possessing 

 no relationship, or at most a very distant one, 

 to the stock to which he is introduced." These 

 remarks apply to all descriptions of live-stock. 

 In cattle, as well as in the human species, de- 

 fects of organization and permanent derange- 

 ments of function obtain, and are handed 

 down when the relationship is close. In Spain 

 the deformed and feeble state of the aristocracy 

 arises from the alliances being confined to 

 the same class ; whilst in England, which can 

 boast the finest aristocracy in the world, the 

 higher classes are improved by constant alli- 

 ances being formed with the daughters of 

 inferior classes, where wealth has been accu- 

 mulated. See the heads, CATTLE, HORSE, 

 SHEKP, &c. 



BREEDING-PONDS. Such ponds as are 

 employed for breeding fish. The qualities of 

 a pond, to make it profitable for breeding fish, 

 are very different from those which are suffi- 

 cient for the feeding of them ; inasmuch as 

 some particular ponds serve only for one of 

 these purposes, and others for the other ; and 

 scarcely ever the same pond is found to an- 

 swer for both. In general it is much more 

 rare to find a good breeding-pond than a good 

 feeding one. The indications of a good breed- 

 ing-pond are these, a considerable quantity 

 of rushes and grass about its sides, with gra- 

 velly shoals, such as horse-ponds usually 

 have. The spawn of fish is prodigiously great 

 in quantity ; and where it succeeds, one fish is 

 able to produce some millions. Thus, in one 

 of these breeding-ponds, two or three melters 

 and as many spawners will, in a very little 

 time, stock the whole country. When these 

 ponds are not meant entirely for breeding, but 

 the owner wishes to have the fish grow to 

 some size in them, the method is to thin their 

 numbers ; for they would otherwise starve one 

 another. It may also be necessary to put in 

 other fish that will prey upon the young, and 

 thin them in the quickest manner. Eels and 

 perch are the most useful on this account, be- 



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