BUXUS. 



east, beyond Portland, in the latitude of 40 30' ; 

 but farther west, in 73 of longitude, it is found 

 two degrees farther north, at the extremity of 

 Lake Champlain and at Montreal. Proceed- 

 ing from Boston and the shores of Lake 

 Champlain towards the west and the south- 

 west, the buttonwood is continually met with 

 over a vast tract, comprising the Atlantic and 

 Western States, and extending beyond the 

 Mississippi. 



The wood of the plane tree speedily decays 

 when exposed to the atmosphere. Hence it is 

 only adapted for work that is sheltered from 

 the weather, and when thoroughly seasoned, 

 it may be usefully employed in the interior of 

 houses for joists, &c. Though never used in 

 the construction of large vessels, it has been 

 hollowed out into canoes, one of which, former- 

 ly on the river Wabash, made of a single tree, 

 was sixty-five feet long, and carried nine thou- 

 sand pounds. (Michaux's Am. Sylva.) 



BUXUS. The boxwood, of which botanists 

 commonly enumerate three species : 1. The 

 arborescens, with oval leaves. 2. The angusti- 

 folia, with narrow leaves. 3. The suffruticosa, 

 the species usually employed in the bordering 

 of flower-beds. The first two, when allowed 

 to grow in a natural manner, are deciduous 

 shrubs of fine appearance. All the species 

 are easily cultivated. The wood is extremely 

 hard and capable of being wrought with great 

 neatness by the turner. It is also used by the 

 engravers on wood to cut figures upon. 



BYRE. A term made use of in some places 

 to signify a cow-house. It is commonly em- 

 ployed in the northern parts of England, and 

 in Scotland ; and they are differently denomi- 

 nated, according to the uses to which they are 

 applied : thus, there are feeding-byres, turnip- 

 byres, &c. 



BYSLINS. A provincial word signifying 

 the first milk of a new-calved cow. 



C. 



. CABBAGE (Fr. cabut; probably from cab, 

 old Fr.for head, top, or extremity. Itol.cabuccio; 

 Dutch, kabuys. "But the form of the cabbage, 

 resembling a head, shows caput to be the ori- 

 ginal." TodcTs Johnson. Lat. brassica ; from 

 JT/)*^*, a garden herb ; or perhaps from brachia, 

 from its numerous sprouts). A biennial genus 

 of plants, of which there are a large number 

 of species and innumerable varieties. Many 

 are extensively cultivated in the vicinity of 

 London ; and several kinds are also grown by 

 the farmer for the purpose of feeding his cattle 

 and sheep. Our field and garden cabbages, 

 with their varieties, have originated from the 

 Brassica oleracea, or culinary cabbage, an indi- 

 genous sort of colewort growing principally 

 on cliffs near the sea-coast It is found abun- 

 dantly at Dover. (Smith's English Flora, vol. iii. 

 p. 220.) The cabbage, says Mr. Amos (Comm. 

 to Board of Agriculture, vol. iv. p. 178), is a most 

 invaluable plant, very productive, accessible 

 at all times, and is an infallible supply for 

 sheep-feeding during the spring months, espe- 

 cially for ewes in lamb. Beasts and sheep are 



CABBAGE. 



all exceedingly fond of cabbages. It may be 

 of some importance to the farmer to be in- 

 formed that among all the plants of the natural 

 order to which the cabbage belongs, not one 

 perhaps is possessed of any really deleterious 

 property. Among nearly one thousand spe- 

 cies (as Dr. Lindley observes), scattered over 

 the face of the world, all are harmless, and 

 many highly useful. The innumerable varie- 

 ties arise from difference of soil and cultiva- 

 tion ; and as all the cabbage tribe form hybrids, 

 new varieties are continually produced. This 

 is effected by the bees, when different sorts are 

 in flower. Hence, only one variety should be 

 in flower at the same time in any garden or 

 field, when we wish to keep the sort unadulte- 

 rated, particularly if some sorts have expanded 

 leaves, and others close heads. It is thus only 

 that the excellent small miniature cabbage, 

 which grows on the stem of the Brussels 

 sprout, can be kept in perfection. The differ- 

 ent sorts of cabbage most prized for the gar- 

 den are chiefly divided into the close-hearting 

 and the spreading. Of the first, the York and 

 the savoys are the most common ; of the latter, 

 the coleworts and Scotch kale. (Penny Cyclo. 

 vol. vi. p. 92.) Of the genus brassica, or cab- 

 bage, the species chiefly interesting to the 

 farmer, and the objects of cultivation, are, 

 1. Common turnip (B. Rapa) ; 2. Wild navew 

 (B. campestris)', 3. Rape or cole (B. Napus)\ 

 4. Early cole (B. prtecox^; 5. Cabbage (B. ole- 

 racea'). These species may be cultivated nearly 

 in the same manner, but they may produce 

 small fusiform roots when they are cultivated 

 for their leaves, or for their seeds, which yield 

 oils; or they may produce large esculent roots 

 when they are cultivated chiefly for their roots. 

 (Low's Elem. of Prac. jjgric. p. 290.) The dif- 

 ferent kinds of cabbage in cultivation may, 

 adds Professor Low (p. 307), be arranged in 

 different classes, according to their general 

 aspect and more popular characters : 1. Those 

 which bear their leaves or stalks without their 

 being formed into a head. Some of these have 

 crisped leaves, and are a class of hardy pot- 

 herbs everywhere familiar in the culture of 

 the garden ; others have smoothish leaves, with 

 long branched stems. These comprehend the 

 largest and most productive of all the cabbages, 

 the Jersey cole, the thousand-headed cab- 

 bage, and others. 2. Those whose leaves are 

 formed into a large head. These comprehend 

 the larger cabbages cultivated in the fields. 

 The savoys of our gardens are allied to this 

 class. 3. Those whose roots become napiform, 

 as the kohl-rabe. 4. Those in which the stem 

 divides, and forms a corymbose head, as in 

 the cauliflower and broccoli. 



The cabbages of the first class, with crisped 

 leaves, frequently termed greens, are very 

 hardy. They are cultivated pretty extensively 

 in some parts of the north of Europe ; but in 

 others they are chiefly regarded as potherbs, 

 and confined to the garden. The branched 

 kinds with smoothish leaves are the most pro- 

 ductive ; but at the same time they demand a 

 good soil and favourable climate. Their leaves 

 are stripped off as they are required for use ; 

 and as these are constantly supplied by fresh 

 leaves, the plants yield a succession of forage 

 x2 245 



