THRIPS. 



TOAD. 



from the smoke even of London. The flowers 

 are numerous, rose-coloured, inodorous. 



2. Blue spiked thrift, or common sea-laven- 

 der (S. limoniuni), which grows plentifully on 

 muddy sea-shores, and about the mouths of 

 large rivers. The root is woody and tough. 

 Leaves leathery, glaucous, usually 2 or 3 

 inches long. Panicle of spikes of imbricated, 

 upright, fine blue flowers. 



3. Matted thrift (S. reticulata), growing on 

 muddy sea-shores, chiefly on the eastern coast 

 of England. (Smith's Eng. Flor. vol. ii. p. 1 15.) 



A kind of American sea-lavender, S. Carolini- 

 and) is described by Nuttall as apparently a 

 mere variety of the S. limonium. The flowers 

 are of an elegant blue. 



THRIPS. The Tlirips, or vine-fretter, as it 

 is often called, is a very minute, light-coloured 

 or spotted fly, exceedingly active in all its mo- 

 tions, and appearing to leap rather than fly. 

 They live on the buds, leaves, and flowers of 

 plants, being so small as readily to escape 

 notice, unless particular attention is directed 

 to them. They are generally found by observ- 

 ing the effects of their apparently poisonous 

 bites which produce deformities in the leaves 

 or blossoms, causing these often to swell or 

 curl up. The peach tree occasionally suffers 

 severely from their attacks, as well as from 

 those of the plant-lice, to which family of insects 

 they are allied. (Harris on Destructive Insects.) 



A remedy for thrips will be found, with the 

 mode of using it, under the head of Jlphis. 



A new disease of the plum tree, occasioned 

 by thrips, is described by Dr. Harris, in Ho- 

 vey's Horticultural Magazine. 



THYME, GARDEN (Thymus vulgaris, from 

 Sv/xo?, courage, being considered a reviver of 

 the spirits; or from &vu, to sacrifice, being 

 employed as incense). The varieties are, 

 the broad-leaved green, narrow-leaved green, 

 variegated, and lemon-scented. The varie- 

 gated is grown almost solely on account of its 

 ornamental foliage. A poor, light, and dry 

 soil is best suited to it. In moist or rich ones, 

 it becomes luxuriant, but deficient in its aro- 

 matic qualities, and generally perishes during 

 the winter. The situation cannot be too open. 



Thyme is propagated both by seed and 

 rooted slips. Sowing may be performed from 

 the middle of March until about the beginning 

 of May. Slips may be planted from the begin- 

 ning of February until the close of May. 



The seed must be sown neither thin, nor 

 raked in more than half an inch below the sur- 

 face. It is sometimes sown in drills of a simi- 

 lar depth, six inches apart, or as an edging to 

 a bed or border. The seedlings must be kept 

 clear of weeds, and, if the season is dry, watered 

 moderately twice a week. When of about six 

 weeks' growth, or when 3 or 4 inches high, 

 they require to be thinned to 6 inches apart, 

 unless grown as an edging, when they must 

 be left thick. Those removed may be pricked 

 out to a similar distance, if required. Water 

 is required occasionally until they have taken 

 root. The plants may be left in the situations 

 they are placed in at this season, or be finally 

 planted out in September or October, or in the 

 early spring of the following year. To obtain 

 slips, some old stools may be divided into as 

 1042 



many rooted portions as possible, or layers 

 may be obtained by loosening the soil around 

 them, and pegging the lateral shoots beneath 

 the surface. They must be planted out at dis- 

 tances similar to those raised from seed, water 

 and weeding being similarly required. 



In autumn the decayed stalks should be 

 cleared, and a little fresh earth scattered and 

 turned in among the stools. 



Although this herb is perennial, yet after 3 

 or 4 years it becomes stunted and unproduct- 

 ive, consequently requiring to be raised peri- 

 odically from seed. For the production of 

 seed, some plants should be allowed to run up 

 without being gathered from in early summer. 

 The seed is ripe during July, and must be cut 

 immediately it is so, and laid on a cloth to dry, 

 otherwise the first rain will wash it out of the 

 seed-vessels. 



THYME, WILD (Thymus"). A genus of aro- 

 matic, pungent, branched, somewhat shrubby 

 plants, belonging to the natural order Labiates. 

 They are often diffuse in England, and of hum- 

 ble growth : in some instances annual. The 

 common wild thyme (T. scrpyllum) is plentiful 

 almost everywhere, particularly on heaths and 

 dry mountainous ground. The odour of the 

 plant is gratefully aromatic. Bees are fond of 

 the flowers. Whether, as alleged, the quality 

 of mutton is improved by the sheep feeding on 

 this plant, or on fine, short grasses which usu- 

 ally accompany it, is still a matter of great 

 doubt. See BASIL, CALAMINT, and THYME. 



TICKS. See SHEEP, DISEASES OF. 



TILLER. A term applied to the branching 

 of the stems of wheat, &c., from the roots. 



TILTH. The condition of the earth after 

 ploughing, &c. ; or the state of the soil in 

 respect to tillage as relating to manure. 



TIMBER (Germ, zimmer ,- Du. timmcrhout}. 

 The term used to express every large tree 

 squared, or capable of being squared, and fit 

 for being employed in house or ship-building. 



TIMBER TREES. See TREES, PLANTA- 

 TIONS, and the several indigenous trees, under 

 their alphabetical heads. 



TIMOTHY GRASS (Phleum pratense). See 

 CAT'S-TAIL GRASS. 



TINE. A tooth or spike placed in any im- 

 plement, but especially in the harrow kind. 

 See HARROW. 



TOAD (Rana bufo.) A well-known and 

 much dreaded, though perfectly innoxious rep- 

 tile of the frog genus, which feeds on insects, 

 flies, ants, &c. It is preyed upon by owls, 

 buzzards, snakes, &c. ; otherwise the toad at- 

 tains to a considerable age, some remarkable 

 instances of which have been recorded. 



Dr. H. Storer, in some remarks upon reptiles 

 furnished by him to Professor Hitchcock, and 

 published in the Zoological Survey of Massachu- 

 setts, observes: Great errors also exist with re- 

 gard to the order Batrachia. The acrid secretion 

 found upon the skin of the Hyla versicolor, the 

 toad, and several species of efts and newts, has 

 caused them to be considered venomous 

 which is incorrect. Every species of this 

 order is inoffensive, and, when better known, 

 will undoubtedly be found beneficial to man. 



In some countries, the flesh of the different 

 Ranee, frogs, is an article of food. With us,. 



