BALSAM. 



BARB 



flowers appear from July to September. The ' 

 most common species, however, is the Fulvous j 

 or Tawny Impatiens, or Touch-me-not, the 

 flowers of which are of a deep orange colour, j 

 with numerous reddish brown spots. The 

 tender and succulent stems of this plant af- 

 ford a domestic application to inflamed tu- | 

 mours, being bruised in the form of a poultice. 

 It has sometimes been used for dying salmon- 

 red. (Null/ill's Genera, Darl/ngfon's Flora Ces- 

 trica.) The popular name of this plant must 

 not lead to its being confounded with another, 

 also called Lady's Slipper, the Stemless Cypri- 

 pedium, a very different plant. 



BALSAM TREE (Tucumahacca). This tree 

 possesses considerable medicinal virtues. It 

 is km>wn among us as the Tacamahac tree, 

 from its similitude to the real tree of that name, 

 which is a native of the East and of America. 

 The leaves of our balsam tree are long, of a 

 dusky green on the outside, and brown under- 

 neath. The buds of the tree in spring are very 

 fragrant, and a sticky substance surrounds 

 each bud, which adheres to the fingers on 

 touching them. (See TACAXAHACCA.) 



BAN-DOG. A corruption of band-dog, a 

 : ml of fierce dog, which was formerly 



kept chained up as a watch-dog. 



HANDS. The cords by means of which 

 and trusses are tied. They are formed 

 of twisted straw or hay. 



Bands, where the straw is tender, should be 

 made in the morning, that they may not crack; 

 for tin- straw will not twist so welt after the 

 sun is up. The turning of three or four of the 

 stubble or bottom ends of the straw to the ears 

 of the band sometimes lend greatly to add to 

 their .strength and toughness. 



The bands for the sheaves should not be 

 spread out, except in fair weather, because 

 they will grow sooner than any other part of 

 the com if rain should come ; for they cannot 

 dry, on account of their lyinir undermost. But 

 though the bands may be made while the morn- 

 is upon them, the sheaves ought never 

 to^be bound up wet ; for, if they are, they will 

 grow mouldy. 



BANE. The disease in sheep generally 

 termed the rot. 



BANE BERRIES (Actxa), and BLACK 

 BANE BERRIES (Herb Christopher'). Pe- 

 rennial herbs, natives f cold countries, with 

 compound or lobed cut leaves and clustered 

 white flowrs. The berries of the former 

 are black, red, or white, of the latter, purplish, 

 bUck, juicy, the size of currants, and have 

 fetid, nauseous, and dangerous qualities. In 

 England these herbs are found sometimes in 

 bushy, mountainous, limestone situations. 

 (Smith?* Engl. Flora.) 



Several species of Actcea, or Bane-berry are 

 found in the United States. Among those 

 mentioned by Dr. Darlington, as met with in 

 : county, Pennsylvania, are the Race- 

 mose Actcea, commonly called Black Snafceroot, 

 a perennial, common in rich woodlands, in 

 which the white flowers rising above most 

 other surrounding plants, are veiy conspicuous 

 in the month of June. The plant has an op- 

 'able odour when bruised. 

 The root is sjmewhat mucilaginous and as- 



tringent ; and is a -veiy popular medicine *t>i 

 man and beast. For the former, it is used In 

 infusion or decoction, chiefly as a remedy in 

 diseases of the breast. Many persons consider 

 it almost a panacea for a sick cow. Its virtues, 

 however, are probably overrated. Another 

 species is the White Actsea, or White Cohosh, 

 found in rocky woodlands, flowering in May, 

 and not so common as the former. Its berries 

 also differ from those of the Black Snakeroot, 

 being oval, about a fourth of an inch in diame- 

 ter, milk white, or often tinged with purple 

 when fully ripe. (Flor. Cestrica.) 



BANE-WORT. See DEADLY NIGHTSHADE. 



BANGLE-EARS. An imperfection in the 

 ears of horses. 



BANKS, of rivers and marshes, &c., (bane, 

 Sax.). In agriculture, are heaps or mounds of 

 earth piled up to keep the water of rivers, 

 lakes, or the sea, from overflowing the grounds 

 which are situated contiguous to them on the 

 inside. (See EMBANKMENTS.) 



The common law of England is very severe 

 against those who wantonly or maliciously in- 

 jure or destroy embankments. 



The 7 & 8 G. 4, c. 30, s. 12, enacts that if 

 any person shall unlawfully and maliciously 

 break down or cut down any sea-bank, or sea- 

 wall ; or the bank or wall of any river, canal, 

 or marsh, whereby any lands shall be over- 

 flowed or damaged, or shall be in danger of 

 being so, or shall unlawfully and maliciously 

 throw down, level, or otherwise destroy any 

 lock, sluice, or flood-gate, or other work on any 

 navigable river or canal, every such offender 

 shall be guilty of felony; and, being convicted 

 thereof, shall be liable, at the discretion of the 

 court, to be transported beyond the seas for 

 life, or for any term not less than seven years, 

 or to be imprisoned for any term not exceeding 

 four years ; and if a male, to be once, twice, or 

 thrice publicly or privately whipped (if the 

 court shall so think fit), in addition to such im- 

 prisonment. 



For protecting embankments exposed to 

 water washing against them, a thick coat of 

 the joint grass, or, as it is likewise called, the 

 Bermuda grass, (Cynodon dadylon, PI. 7, k,) 

 is one of the best means that can be adopted 

 It is of a remarkably creeping nature, and 

 grows very luxuriantly where no other grass 

 will live, as on the sea-coast, and on poor loose 

 soils. It is taken advantage of by the rice 

 planters 01 the Southern States, whose exten- 

 sive embankments are much exposed to the 

 washing of water against them, and which are 

 greatly protected from injury by the dense mat 

 of joint grass made to grow upon them. Its 

 extirpation is extremely difficult where it has 

 once got possession. Mr. Nuttall says there 

 is only one species (the C. dactylon) common 

 to Europe, North America, and the West India 

 Islands. (NuttalFs Genera.) 



BANNOCK. The Scotch name for a small 

 loaf or cake. 



BARB. A general name for horses import 

 ed from Barbary. The barb, one of the most 

 celebrated of the African racers, is to be met 

 with throughout Barbary, Morocco, fez, 1 

 ! poli, and Bornou. It seldom exceeds fourteen 

 hands and a half in height. The countenance 

 M 



