SPEEDWELL. 



SPINDLE-WORM. 



well as dried for soups in winter. There are 

 two varieties, the broad and narrow-leaved, 

 equally good. See MIST. 



SPEEDWELL (Veronica). An extensive 

 genus of herbaceous or somewhat shrubby 

 plants, with annual or perennial roots. 



Common or male speedwell (Officinal vero- 

 nica), called by the French The d'Europe, is a 

 common plant in the Middle States, found on 

 dry banks, woodlands, and commons, flowering 

 in June and July, and ripening its seed in Au- 

 gust and September. Water speedwell, or 

 long-leaved brooklime, is also occasionally 

 found along the muddy margins of rivulets, 

 and also the scull-cap speedwell, or shield-like 

 Veronica, with some other species. (Dr. Dar- 

 lington's Flora Cestricn.) See BIRD'S EVE. 



SPHAGNUM. A name used by Pliny for 

 some kinds of moss. The species belonging 

 to this genus are found in bogs at all seasons. 

 The leaves are nerveless, and of a singularly 

 whitish colour. (Puitun's But. Diet.) 



SPICEWOOD (Laurus Benzoin). An Ameri- 

 can shrub or small tree, called also in the 

 United States by the common names of wild 

 allspice, fever bush, and Benjamin tre'. Tip- 

 stems grow to the height of 8 or 10 feet, and 

 are branched, the wood being very brittle, and 

 when broken giving out a very pleasant aro- 

 matic odour. It is found in moist low grounds. 

 An infusion of the branches is often used medi- 

 cinally, more especially in the spring of the 

 year, as a drink for horned cattle. See LAWS. 



SPIGNEL. SeeFjsxM.i.. 



SPIKENARD, PLOUGHMAN'S (Conyza, 

 from kvnis, dust; because it was supposed to have 

 the power of driving away flies; whence also 

 one of the common names, flea (fly) bane. The 

 genus Erigeros is, however, the real fly-bane ; 

 some of its viscid species, dipped in milk, being 

 used ir the south of Europe to catch the va- 

 rious little winged insects so troublesome in 

 warm climates). This is a numerous herba- 

 ceous or shrubby genus, of which the only 

 British species (C.squarnjsu) Is the type. This 

 is a perennial plant, growing in chalky or 

 lime-stone countries, frequent in woods, or a 

 marly soil. The root is tapering, fleshy, much 

 branched ; the herbage soft and downy, bitter, 

 somewhat aromatic, with a portion of mucilage. 

 The stem is upright, angular, leafy, 2 or 3 feet 

 high, terminating in a corymbose, leafy pani- 

 cle of numerous dull yellow flowers. The 

 radical leaves bear some resemblance to those 

 of foxglove, but when rubbed are readily dis- 

 tinguished by their aromatic scent. 



SPIKE ROLLER. See ROLLER. 



SPINACH (Spinacea oleracea. From spina, 

 on account of its prickly seed). There are two 

 varieties, the round-leaved or smooth-seeded, 

 and the triangular-leaved or prickly-seeded. 

 The first being the most succulent, and conse- 

 quently less able to endure a low degree of 

 temperature, is employed for the spring and 

 summer crops, and the latter for autumn and 

 winter. For the round-leaved variety, a rich, 

 moist, and mouldy loam, in an open situation, 

 is preferable ; but for the triangular-leaved a 

 light, moderately fertile, and dry one, which may 

 likewise be an open compartment, but a shel- 

 tered border is most conducive of a continued 



supply throughout the winter. The earth 

 should always be well pulverized at the time 

 of digging, as a fine tilth is one of the greatest 

 inducements to its vigour. It is propagated by 

 seed. The first sowing of the round-leaved 

 variety may take place at the close of January, 

 in a warm situation, to be repeated in larger 

 but still small breadths at the commencement 

 and end of February ; and thence to be con- 

 tinued, as the plants rapidly advance to seed, 

 every 3 weeks until the middle of April, when, 

 as this affection increases, it must be performed 

 once a week until the close of May, when it 

 may be reduced to once a fortnight, and so 

 practised until the end of July. With August, 

 the sowing of the triangular-leaved variety 

 commences, the main crop of which should be 

 .-own during the first 10 days of that month. 

 The sowing may be repeated, after intervals of 

 3 weeks, until the early part of September. 



The sowings may be performed broadcast 

 and regularly raked, which is the mode gene- 

 rally practised for the principal crops, and for 

 the winter-standing always, or in drills an inch 

 deep and a foot apart ; in c'ither mode the seed 

 being scattered thin. 



Tetragonia, or New Zealand spinach (Tdi-a- 

 cji-pansa), is much admired as a substitute 

 t'.-r Mimui'T spinach, being of more delicate 

 flavour, and not so liable to run to seed. It is 

 propagated by seed, which is sown, in the seed- 

 vessel, as gathered the preceding autumn, at 

 the latter end of March, in a pot, and placed in 

 a melon-frame. The seedlings must be pricked 

 while small singly into pots, and kept under 

 a frame without bottom heat until the third 

 week in May, or until the danger of frost is 

 past. 



SPINAGE, WILD. See GOOSEFOOT. 



SPINDLE TREE (Euonymvs Knr^tem.) This 

 shrub or small tree grows wild in English 

 hedges and thickets. The very hard and fine- 

 grained wood is preferred for spindles and for 

 skewers. It is fetid in every part when bruised, 

 and esteemed poisonous. The branches are 

 smooth and even angular when young; after- 

 wards round, with a green, smooth, not warty 

 bark. Leaves ovate, pointed, finely serrated, 

 about 2 inches long, furnished with awl-shaped 

 stipules. Flowers fetid, small, greenish-white, 

 mostly four-cleft. The capsules usually of a 

 fine rose colour : seeds orange-coloured. 



SPINDLE-WORM. These American insects 

 are fatal to the plants attacked, the greater part of 

 which, however, are without value to the farmer. 

 Indian corn must be excepted; for it often suffers 

 severely from the depredations of one of these 

 Nonagrians, known to our farmers by the name 

 of the spindle- worm. Th : s insect receives 

 its common name from its destroying the spin- 

 dle of the Indian corn ; but its ravages gene- 

 rally begin while the corn-stalk is young, and 

 before the spindle rises much above the tuft 

 of leaves in which it is embosomed. The mis- 

 chief is discovered by the withering of the 

 leaves, and, when these are taken hold of, they 

 may often be drawn out with the included spin- 

 dle. On examining the corn, a small hole may 

 be seen in the side of the leafy stalk, near the 

 ground, penetrating into the soft centre of the 

 stalk, which, when cut open, will be found to 



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