LADIES' FINGER. 



LADIES' SMOCK. 



marks on the glass tubes. The lactometer I spots, when the leaves are agitated by the 

 consists of 4 or 5 glass tubes, about half an - - *' "" 



inch diameter, and 1 1 inches long, fitted into an 



upright mahogany frame ; each tube having a 

 fine line drawn round it 10 inches from the 

 bottom ; 3 inches from the line downwards, it 

 is graduated into inches and tenths of inches. 

 At milking time each tube is to be filled up to 

 the line with new milk. After standing 12 

 hours, the quantity of cream which floats upon 

 the surface is shown by the scale of inches 

 and tenths ; each division will therefore repre- 

 sent one per cent, of the whole. 



If the milk given by a cow at one meal is 

 1 gallon, or 8 pints, and the thickness or depth 

 of the cream which floats upon it measures 14 

 divisions, multiply the number of pints, 8, by 

 the depth of the cream, 14; the result will be 

 that the produce of the cream of that meal is 

 112, or 1 pint j^V Care must be taken to fill 

 these tubes as soon as the pail is taken from 

 under the cow, for if any delay takes place, 

 some of the cream will have ascended towards 

 the top. The milk should be taken from the 

 middle of the pail, which is to be done by dip- 

 ping a cream-pot below the froth. (Jouru. R<nj. 

 Inst. vol. iv. p. 157; Rees's Cyclo. vol. xx.) 



LADIES' FINGER. A name given to the 

 common kidney-vetch (Anthyllis vulnerarin), 

 which, from its soft and downy nature, was 

 supposed to possess vulnerary properties in 

 stanching the blood of slight wounds. See 



KlllNET-VETCH. 



LADIES' MANTLE (Akhemilla). The spe- 

 cies of this genus of plants are all astringent 

 in their root, and somewhat mucilaginous. A. 

 vulgaris is slightly tonic. Many of them are 

 ornamental, and well adapted for planting in 

 gardens near the front of borders, or for adorn- 

 ing rockwork. They succeed well in any 

 common soil, if not over wet, and may be in- 

 creased from seeds or divisions. The species 

 indigenous to Britain are 



1. Common ladies' mantle (A. vulgaris). A 

 perennial, growing in dry, rather mountainous 

 pastures. The root is woody, with long fibres : 

 stems from 4 to 8 inches high, more or less 

 procumbent, alternately branched, round, 

 hairy, leafy, terminating in numerous little co- 

 rymbose clusters of green flowers, or smooth, 

 almost capillary stalks. The radical leaves 

 are numerous, on long footstalks, large, round- 

 ish, kidney-shaped, bluntly-lobed, plaited, ser- 

 rated, of a fine green above ; soft and hairy 

 beneath. The stem-leaves are of the same 

 form, but a great deal smaller; alternate, on 

 short stalks, with a pair of large notched sti- 

 pules to each. Horses, sheep, and goats, eat 

 this vegetable ; but it is not relished by cattle, 



and hogs totally refuse it. 



2. Alpine ladies' mantle (A. alpina). 



A pe- 



rennial plant growing on alpine rocks, espe- 

 cially in a micaceous soil. It is rather smaller 

 in habit than the last species, and essentially 

 different, not only in the silvery pubescence 

 of the stalks, flowers, and backs of the leaves, 

 but in the latter being separated to the base 

 into 5 or 6 obovate lobes, closely serrated to- 

 wards the extremity. Nothing can be more 

 beautiful than the silvery splendour of their 

 under sides, especially in exposed and barren 



wind. No figure can do them justice. The 

 upper surface is smooth and naked, of a fine 

 green. This species is found on the moun- 

 tains of New Hampshire. 



3. Field ladies' mantle, or parsley piert (A. 

 arvensis). This annual species will generally 

 be found in England growing in sandy or gra- 

 velly fields, especially when fallow, as well as 

 on heathy banks. The root is small and 

 fibrous; stems numerous, about a finger's 

 length, spreading or prostrate, round, leafy, 

 hardly subdivided. Leaves flat, three-lobed, 

 variously cut on short stalks. The whole 

 plant is more or less hairy, and in flavour and 

 scent approaches its natural ally, burnet. 

 (Smith's Eng. Ffar. vol. i. p. 223.) 



LADIES' SLIPPER (Cypripedium, from 

 Cypris, one of Venus's names, and podion, a 

 slipper; hence the name Venus's or ladies' 

 slipper). The species of this genus are re- 

 markably handsome when in flower, and on 

 that account deserve a place in every collec- 

 tion. They are all of the easiest culture. The 

 hardy species succeed well in peat soil, either 

 kept in a frame, or planted out in a shady 

 border. The species, natives of America, re- 

 quire to be protected from severe frost and 

 rain. The only indigenous species is the com- 

 mon ladies' slipper (C. rulceolus), which is very 

 rare, growing only in mountainous woods and 

 thickets in the north of England. It is peren- 

 nial, blowing large yellow, solitary, terminal 

 flowers, without scent, in June. The stems are 

 solid, 12 or 18 inches high, downy, bearing 3 

 or 4 large alternate, ovate, rather pointed 

 leaves, clasping or sheathing at their base. 

 (Eng. Flor. iv. 51; Paxton's Bot. Diet.; see 

 Darlington's Flor. Cest. 513.) 



LADIES' SMOCK (Cardamine). An inte- 

 resting genus of the simplest culture and pro- 

 pagation, natives of various countries, gene- 

 rally preferring watery situations. The native 

 species are five in number: 



1. Daisy-leaved ladies' smock (C.bellidifolia). 

 This perennial species grows in moist, grassy, 

 lofty, alpine pastures. The root is rather 

 woody, divided at the crown. Herb 2 or 3 

 inches high, unbranched, erect, bright green, 

 smooth leaves, sometimes a little wavy or an- 

 gular, the uppermost nearly sessile. Flowers 

 few, corymbose, white, appearing in August. 

 Style short, conical. 



2. Impatient ladies' smock (C. impatient). 

 This annual species grows in shady, rather 

 moist, rocky situations in the north of Eng- 

 land ; it is rarely met with in Scotland. The 

 root is small and tapering; the herbage pale 

 green; stem 1^ to 2 feet high; leaves pinnate; 

 leaflets lanceolate, mostly cut; stipules fringed. 

 The flowers, which are numerous, and small, 

 and white, appear in May and June. Pods erect, 

 very slender, composing long clusters, and dis- 

 charging their seeds with a crackling noise and 

 great force on the slightest touch or concussion, 

 by means of the revolute valves. The whole 

 plant is disagreeably bitterish and pungent. 



3. Hairy ladies' smock (C. hirnuta). Also 

 annual in habit. This species is found very 

 frequent in waste or cultivated ground, espe- 

 cially in moist, shady places ; flowering from 



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