SIT-FAST. 



SMITHFIELD. 



ries of valuable researches on these in the 

 grass garden at Woburn Abbey, under the di- 

 rection of the Duke of Bedford, the results of 

 which he gave to the world, in his justly cele- 

 brated work, the Hortus Gfcaatinetu Woburnenti*. 

 He also edited a fragment of a work of Mr. 

 Holdlch on The Weeds of Agriculture. He died 

 in 1835, in the 52d year of his age. 



SIT-FAST. In farriery, an ulcerated sore in 

 which a part of the skin has turned horny ; if 

 it cannot be dissolved and softened by rubbing 

 with mercurial ointment, it must have a mild 

 blister applied, which will cause it to separate. 

 It generally proceeds from a warble or little 

 tumour resulting from the pressure of the sad- 

 dle. See BACK-SOHE and GALLS. 



SIZE. See GLVK. 



SKEGS. A kind of oat, sometimes culti- 

 vated as a crop in Nottinghamshire. It is the 

 Avena slipiformis of Ljnnocus. See OATS. 



SKEP. A coarse, round, farm-basket. It is 

 also provincially used to signify a bee-hive. 



SKID. The chain by which the wheel of a 

 wagon is fastened, so as to prevent its turning 

 round, upon descending a steep hill. See 

 DRAG. 



SKIM COULTER. See PLOUGH. 



SKUNK-CABBAGE; S vvamp-cabbage ; 

 Skunk-weed. Familiar names applied to a 

 plant common in low grounds in the United 

 States. It is the Symplocarpns fatida of some 

 botanists, and the Pothos fcetida of others. It 

 has a perennial root, and very large leaves, 

 often, when fully grown, measuring 2 feet long 

 and 1 foot wide. "This plant," says Dr. Dar- 

 lington, " is notorious for the pole-cat-like odour 

 which it emits, when wounded; and is said to 

 possess some medicinal virtues, as an anti- 

 spasmodic. The root, when chewed, produces 

 a tingling or pricking sensation in the mouth. 

 It is the only species of the genus in the United 

 States: Dr. Barton, however, describes a pretty 

 distinct variety, near Philadelphia." 



SLATE. A well-known, neat, convenient, 

 and durable material for the covering of the 

 roofs of buildings. There are many varieties 

 of slate, and it likewise differs very greatly in 

 its qualities and colours. In some places it is 

 found in thick lamina or flakes, while in others 

 it is thin and light. The colours are white, 

 brown, and blue. Slate is so durable in some 

 cases as to have been known to continue sound 

 and good for centuries. 



SLAUGHTER-HOUSE. See ABATTOIR. 



SLEET. See Sxow. 



SLOE. The American species of sloe belong 

 to the viburnium family, and are not to be con- 

 founded with the black hedge thorn. See 

 BLACKTHORN. 



SLOUGH-HEAL. See SELF-HEAL. 



SLUG, genus of molluscous animals, or 

 naked snails, comprehending several species, 

 which differonly in colour. Slugs infest gardens 

 and fields, and are very injurious to the growing 

 crops; hence it becomes essential to destroy 

 them. Dry lime and slacked lime have been re- 

 commended, which, being dissolved by the dew 

 and moisture of the atmosphere, act as a poison 

 to these animals. But pulverized lime is not 

 suitable to all soils, and may even prove inju- 

 rious to some crops. Lime-water appears to 

 996 



be preferable. But as many husbandmen may 

 not have an opportunity of liming their fields 

 or gardens, or of keeping a sufficient stock of 

 geese, fowls, ducks, &c., to turn in and devour 

 the slugs, common salt will be found an effec- 

 tual cure; and tar-water or other refuse of 

 gas-works will prove destructive to them, if 

 sprinkled on the land. See INSECTS and SNAILS. 



The disgusting slug infesting pear and cherry 

 trees in the United States is a slimy false ca- 

 terpillar, the nature and characteristics of 

 which, and the parent-fly, are particularly de- 

 scribed by Professor Peck and Dr. Harris. See 

 SAW-FLIES. 



SMALL AGE PARSLEY. See CELERI, 



WttB, 



SMITHFIELD. The principal market for 

 the sale of live cattle in the United Kingdom. 

 It is very inconveniently situated in the heart 

 of the metropolis. The numbers of cattle 

 slaughtered have been more than double dur- 

 ing the last century,, (See CATTLE, ante', p. 293.) 

 Although this increased consumption is scarce- 

 ly proportioned to the increase of population, 

 it should be remembered that a very different 

 description of cattle are now slaughtered to 

 what were then killed. The present average 

 dead weight of the bullock is about 656 Ibs., of 

 the calf 144 Ibs., of the pig 96 Ibs., and of the 

 sheep and lamb 90 Ibs. ; approaching to double 

 the weight of these animals in 1730. This 

 renders the number of cattle slaughtered in the 

 metropolis, and the increasing number of the 

 inhabitants, a little more proportionate. From 

 this estimate, and the number of cattle sold in 

 Smithfield market in the year 1830, we may 

 now form some not very inaccurate idea of the 

 amount of this branch of the provision trade 

 in London. 



Average Weight. No. of lb. 

 656 lb. 104,896,992 



Cattle 

 Sheep, &c. 

 Pigs - - 

 Calves 



159,907 



1,287,070 



254,672 



22,500 



96 

 144 



Number of lb?. of meal consumed 



115,836,300 

 24,448,512 



3,240,000 



248,423,804 



This, estimated at the average price of 6rf., 

 would be 6,210,5957. 2s. Od. ; at 8rf., it would 

 produce 8,268,293Z. 9s. 4c?., exclusive of bacon, 

 hams, and all salted provisions brought from a 

 distance (the importation of Irish bacon and 

 hams into Great Britain is 500,000 cwt.), and 

 also fish and poultry. This calculation will 

 enable us to determine another curious ques- 

 tion, what is the average quantity of meat 

 consumed by each individual in the course of 

 a year? If we divide the gross number of 

 pounds, 248,423,804, by 1,450,000, the estimated 

 number of inhabitants in London and its envi- 

 rons, the quotient will be 170, or each indi- 

 vidual consumes nearly half a pound of meat 

 every day. This is a very high calculation 

 compared with that of Paris, where each per- 

 son is supposed to consume but 80 pounds in 

 the year ; and Brussels, where 89 pounds form 

 the allotment of each ; but the English is a 

 meat-eating population, and composed chiefly 

 of Protestants ; and when we remember that 

 this includes the bones as well as the meat, 

 half a pound a day is not too much to allow to 

 each person. 



Cattle are sent from every part of the king- 



