CRANE'S BILL. 



CRESS, INDIAN. 



earth, or mud, it will flourish, producing abun- 

 dant crops, even in any dry soil. There is 

 said to be a variety of cranberry in Russia of 

 a superior size. 



Cranberries abound in vast quantities in the 

 moist prairies in Michigan and some of the 

 Western States. By means of a newly invented 

 rake, very simple in its construction and not 

 expensive, 40 bushels may be gathered by one 

 man in a day; and a cargo of 1500 bushels 

 has been sent to one of the Atlantic States, 

 from the northern part of Indiana, in a flat- 

 boat, at one time. The price which this pro- 

 duct often commands in the markets of the 

 cities along the Atlantic varies from $1 50 

 even up to $2 50 or $3 50 per bushel. They 

 can be gathered at the west at an expense of 

 not more than 50 cents per bushel. The duty 

 on them in England is not more than 2 cents 

 per gallon by direct trade. 



The cranberry tree, or shrub, commonly 

 called the Hfghbush Cranberry ( Viburnum oxy- 

 coccum), is also indigenous to North America, 

 and among other places in which it is found, 

 are some of the western counties of New 

 York. The blossoms are white, disposed in 

 cymes, forming a flat surface from a common 

 centre, and very beautiful. Its fruit is a berry 

 about the size of the common cranberry, of a 

 bright red colour, and very austere taste. 

 They are valuable for pies, tarts, preserves, &c. 

 The tree is propagated by seeds, layers, and 

 suckers. (Kenrick's Jim. Orchardist.) 



It may, with great ease, be transferred from 

 its native forest to the yard or garden, flourish- 

 ing in every kind of soil, whether wet, dry, 

 sand, or clay. The shrub so much resembles 

 the snow-ball as to be distinguished from it 

 with difficulty. The fruit is but little if any 

 inferior in flavour to that of the swamp cran- 

 berry, from which it differs in having a small 

 pit or stone. For some purposes it is even 

 preferable to the common cranberry. It grows 

 in clusters which will remain on the bush all 

 winter. 



In the valley of the Columbia river, a new 

 species of bush-cranberry has been discovered, 

 called Panitniin. 



CRANE'S BILL (Geranium}. A genus of 

 plants comprising a large number of species, 

 of which, according to Smith (Eng. Flor. vol. ii. 

 p. 221), only thirteen are indigenous. The 

 blue meadow crane's bill (G. pratense) is found 

 in rich, rather moist pastures, and thickets, es- 

 pecially in the hilly parts of England. It is a 

 perennial, flowering in June and July ; flowers, 

 of a fine blue, often irregularly striped or 

 blotched with white, sometimes entirely white. 

 The species of crane's bill called Herb Robert , 

 (G. Robertianum,) possesses most medicinal ! 

 virtues, and is found under hedges and in un- i 

 cultivated places, flowering all through the ! 

 summer. The stalks, and indeed the whole I 

 plant, is often quite red, as are the flowers, and | 

 the fruit is long and slendeT, resembling a j 

 crane's bill, after which it is named. The j 

 leaves are large, divided into many parts, and j 

 stand in pairs at every joint of their long-footed 

 stalks. It is a very powerful astringent, and ! 

 may be given in any form, decocted fresh, or I 



powdered when dry. Several indigenous spe- 

 cies are found in the United States. 



CRAP. A local name in some places for 

 darnel, and in others for buckwheat. 

 CRAPULA. See HOVKX. 

 CREAM. A thick, unctuous, yellowish co- 

 loured substance which collects on the surface 

 of milk, when this is allowed to stand some 

 time at rest. See BUTTER. 



CREAM GAUGE, or GLASS. A graduated 

 glass tube to ascertain the produce of cream. 

 In a tube containing ten inches' depth of milk, 

 every tenth of an inch will of course indicate 

 one per cent, of cream. It may be used for 

 many purposes, such as to ascertain the state 

 of the animal's health, regular and quiet feed- 

 ing, &c. (Quart. Jovrn. Jlgr. vol. ii. p. 245.) 



CREAM-SLICE. A sort of wooden knife, 

 twelve or fourteen inches in length. 



CREOSOTE. A term derived from Greek 

 words signifying "flesh preserver." It is the 

 most important of the five new chemical pro- 

 ducts obtained from wood-tar, by Dr. Reichen- 

 bach. The other four, are Parnfflne,JZitpione y Pi- 

 ramar, and Pittacal, none of which have, as yet, 

 been applied to any use in the arts. Creosote 

 may be prepared either from tar or from crude 

 pyroligneous acid. Its flesh-preserving quality 

 is rendered of little use, from the difficulty of 

 removing the rank flavour which it imparts. 

 CRESS. See AMERICAN CHESS. 

 CRESS, BITTER WINTER (Barbarea vul- 

 garis). See WINTER CRESS. 



CRESS, INDIAN, or MAJOR NASTURTI- 

 UM (Tropteohim ma jus, diminutive of tropaum, 

 a trophy; and T. minus). The major nasturti- 

 um being the most productive, as well of flow- 

 ers and leaves as of fruit, is the one that is 

 usually cultivated in the kitchen garden; the 

 fruit being used in pickling, and the flowers 

 and leaves in salads and for garnishing. They 

 will flourish in almost any soil, but the one in 

 which they are most productive, is a light fresh 

 loam. In a strong rich soil, the plants are 

 luxuriant, but they afford fewer berries, and 

 those of inferior flavour. They like an open 

 situation. Sow from the beginning of March 

 to the middle of May ; the earlier, however, the 

 better. The seed may be inserted in a drill, 

 two inches deep, along its bottom, in a single 

 row, with a space of two or three inches be- 

 tween every two, or they may be dibbled in at 

 a similar distance and depth. The minor is 

 likewise often sown in patches. The major 

 should be inserted beneath a vacant paling, 

 wall, or hedge, to which its stems may be 

 trained, or in an open compartment with sticks 

 inserted on each side. The runners at first 

 require a little attention to enable them to climb, 

 but they soon are capable of doing so unassist- 

 ed. The minor either may trail along the 

 ground, or be supported with short sticks. If 

 water is not afforded during dry weather, they 

 will not shoot so vigorously or be so produc- 

 tive. They flower from June until the close 

 of October. The fruit for pickling must be 

 gathered when of full size, and whilst green 

 and fleshy, during August. For the production 

 of seed, some plants should be left ungathered, 

 as the first produced are not only the finest in 



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