NAVICULAR. 



NIGHTSHADE. 



NAVICULAR. A botanical phrase, signify- 

 ing boat-shaped. 



NEAT CATTLE. See CATTLE. 



NECTARY, in botany, is applied to those 

 parts of a flower which secrete honey. 



NECTARINE (Jmygdalus Persica, var. Nec- 

 tarina). A variety of the common peach, from 

 which the fruit differs only in having a smoother 

 rind and finer pulp. The culture is in every 

 respect the same as the peach. The varieties 

 of nectarines are numerous, nearly 70 being 

 described in the catalogue of the Horticultural 

 Society of London. Forsyth recommends for 

 a small garden the following sorts: Fair- 

 child's Early, Eldridge's Scarlet, Newington, 

 Red Roman, and Temple's. Nectarines, like 

 peaches, are subdivided into free-stones and 

 cling-stones. 



NEP. See CATMINT. 



NERVES. In botany, the strong ribs upon 

 leaves or flowers, which are bundles of vessels, 

 chiefly spiral. Besides conveying the sap to 

 the leaf, and returning the proper juice to the 

 bark, they often afford distinctive characters to 

 the leaf. 



NETTED. A botanical term, implying that 

 the veins or membranes are reticulated on the 

 leaf, or variously intersected. 



NETTIE, Urtica (from uro, to burn; in re- 

 ference to the stinging properties of most of 

 the species). An extensive genus of herba- 

 ceous or shrubby plants of little beauty, and 

 which are justly looked upon in the eyes of the 

 agriculturist as mere weeds. The herbage in 

 all the species is copiously armed with veno- 

 mous perforated bristles, each of which has 

 a bag of liquid poison at its base. This liquor, 

 by the slight pressure required to pierce the 

 skin, is transmitted into it, causing great irri- 

 tation. Many of the numerous exotic species 

 have not this stinging property ; but the sting 

 of common nettles is not to be compared with 

 that of some of the Indian species grown in 

 the gardens cf Europe. These are, how- 

 ever, all surpassed in virulence by one which 

 in Timor is called dtioun setan, or devil's leaf, 

 the effects of which are said by the natives in 

 many cases to cause death. In England, the 

 indigenous species of nettle are three; viz. 1. 

 Roman nettle (U. pilulifera), an annual plant, 

 growing in waste ground amongst rubbish, 

 chiefly near the sea. The herb is armed all 

 over with peculiarly venomous stings. The 

 stem is branched, leafy, bluntly quadrangular, 

 often purple, about 2 feet high. 2. The small 

 nettle (U. wrens) is found to be in all cultivated 

 ground a troublesome weed, especially on a 

 light soil. It is annual in habit, flowering from 

 June till October, smaller than the last, and of a 

 much brighter green ; its copious stings hardly 

 less virulent. The several parallel ribs of the 

 leaves form its distinguishing character. The 

 whole plant being refused by every kind of 

 cattle, should be carefully extirpated from pas- 

 tures. 3. The common or great nettle (U.dioica), 

 which is a noxious perennial weed, growing 

 almost everywhere, and flowering in July and 

 August. The root is branching and creeping, 

 with fleshy roots, and many fibrous radicles. 

 The herb is of a duller green than the last, 

 erect, 3 feet high, with less irritating slings. 

 840 



Leaves large, heart-shaped, spreading, pointed 

 strongly serrated, veiny. The leaves are employ* 

 ed for feeding poultry, especially in the winter; 

 when boiled, they are said to promote the lay- 

 ing of eggs. Asses devour nettles eagerly, but 

 all other live-stock refuse them, unless they 

 are dried. In the western islands of Scotland, 

 a rennet is prepared by adding a quart of salt 

 to 3 pints of a strong decoction of nettles ; a 

 tablespoonful of which is said to be sufficient 

 to coagulate a bowl of milk. The young tops 

 of the common and smaller nettles may be 

 boiled as potherbs during spring, and eaten as 

 a substitute for greens ; being not only nourish- 

 ing, but mildly aperient. The tough fibres of 

 the stem may be manufactured like hemp, and 

 are often found in winter naturally separated 

 and bleached. The roots are astringent and 

 diuretic. See DEAD-NETTLE. 



NETTLE-HEMP. See HEMP-NETTLE. 



NETTLE TREE (Celtis). This is an orna- 

 mental genus of trees and shrubs, varying in 

 height from 6 to 50 feet. The most of them do 

 very well in any common garden soil, and are 

 suitable for the back of shrubberies and planta- 

 tions. They are increased by seeds or layers. 



NETTLE TREE, AMERICAN (Celtis oai- 

 dentalis). Sugar-berry. This American tree, 

 Michaux says, if not rare, is little multiplied in 

 comparison with the oaks, the walnuts, and 

 maples. As it is scattered thinly through the 

 forest, it is difficult to fix the point at which it 

 ceases towards the north, but it is believed not 

 to extend beyond the Connecticut river. In the 

 Middle, Western, and Southern States, it bears 

 the name of nettle tree, whilst the French call 

 it bois inconnu, or unknown wood. On the Sa- 

 vannah river trees are found 60 or 70 feet high, 

 and 18 or 20 inches in diameter. In the Mid- 

 dle States it seldom grows above 10 or 15 feet 

 in height. It is similar in its foliage and gene- 

 ral appearance to the European nettle tree. 

 The flowers are small and white, and open early 

 in spring. The fruit consists of small berries 

 disposed on stems singly, of a dull red colour, 

 purplish when mature, and of a sweetish taste. 

 {Michaux.') 



NICKING. In farriery, an operation per- 

 formed on the tails of horses to make them 

 carry them well. 



NIGHTSHADE (Solanum). A very nume- 

 rous, principally tropical genus of shrubs or 

 herbs, more or less narcotic; though in some 

 cases rendered eatable by cookery, as in our 

 common potato. Some of the genus are very 

 dangerous and highly virulent poisons. Two 

 species only are indigenous to England, 1. 

 The woody nightshade (S. dulcamara}. See 

 BITTERSWEET. 



2. The common or garden nightshade ( 

 nr'grum). This is common everywhere, in waste 

 as well as cultivated ground. The root is 

 fibrous, annual in habit, occasionally peren- 

 nial. Herb fetid, narcotic, bushy, with nume- 

 rous angular or winged leafy branches. Stem 

 herbaceous, without thorns. Leaves undivided, 

 ovate, lengthened at the base, smooth. Um- 

 bels from the intermediate spaces between 

 the leaves, lateral, drooping, solitary, stalked, 

 simple, downy. Flowers white with a musky 

 scent. The berries globular, black; some 



