SPURGE, OLIVE. 



instead of mezereon. It is powerfully excitant 

 and diaphoretic. The bark of the stem, soaked 

 in vinegar and beaten out flat, forms an excel- 

 lent agent for keeping blisters open. 



SPURGE, OLIVE. See MEZEHKOX. 



SPL'RREY (Spergula, from spargo, to scatter, 

 it expels its seeds.) A genus of herba- 

 ceous, annual, or perennial plants, with slen- 

 der linear leaves and white flowers. There are 

 in England four indigenous species, the most 

 common of which is the rough-seeded corn 

 spurrey (S. arvensis), an annual plant, which 

 grows in sandy corn-fields, and flowers from 

 June to August. (See PI. 9, 6.) The stems are 

 spreading, lax, 6 inches to 2 feet long, mode- 

 rately branched, jointed, leafy, angular, and 

 hairy and viscid in the upper part. Leaves 

 whorled, linear, narrow, fleshy, downy, obtuse, 

 with >hort stipules. The flowers are white, 

 on s lender, downy flower-stalks. The rough- 

 seeded spurrey is a common weed in sandy 

 soils, and is in Scotland called yarr, and in 

 Norfolk pick-purse. It is devoured with avi- 

 dity by all cattle, and appears to be conducive 

 to their health, while it remarkably tends to 

 increase the milk of cows, and to fatten sheep. 

 Hence a large, smooth-seeded variety of this 

 weed (.S. ><//<m) is industriously cultivated in 

 Flanders, because it is so far superior to other 

 pasture grasses that it continues green till a 

 late period of autumn, and often throughout 

 the winter. Its seeds afford on expression a 

 good lamp oil; the flour obtained from them, 

 when mixed with that of wheat or rye, pro- 

 duces wholesome bread, for which purpose it 

 is often used in Norway and Gothland. Poultry 

 cat spurrey greedily, and it is supposed to make 

 them lay a great number of eggs. Whether 

 given as hay, or cut green, or in pasture, Von 

 Thaer observes that it is the most nourishing, 

 in proportion to its bulk, of all forage, and 

 gives the best flavoured milk and butter. It 

 has been recommended to be cultivated in 

 England, but it is not likely that such a plant 

 can ever pay the expense of seed and labour 

 in that country, even on the poorest soil; or, at 

 all events, as" Professor Martyn nbsei . 

 have many better plants for such soils. 



SQUASH (Cucurbit a). Of this plant there 

 are many varieties, distinguished by peculiari- 

 ties of shapes, colours, &c. The young fruit 

 is a rich and excellent vegetable for boiling, 

 stewing, or baking. The common round kind 

 (Citruflnid imiluftcpo) IS also called Cyitthling 

 (and by the French Bonnet de Pretre). The 

 warty or long squash (C. ve/rurosa), is said by 

 Mr. Nuttall to be cultivated by the Indians of 

 the Missouri to its source. Mr. Kenrick, of 

 Boston, notices the following varieties : 



1. Early orange ; 2. Early long warted ; 3. 

 Early scallop ; 4. Acorn ; 5. Canada crook 

 neck; 6. Long yellow crook neck; 7. Commo- 

 dore Porter's Valparaiso; 8. Autumnal marrow; 

 9. Scarlet summer. 



The early orange is a new summer variety, 

 very early, and of superior quality. The Cana- 

 da crook neck is, without doubt, far superior to 

 any and all others, for the late or main crop. , 

 It is fine-grained, mealy, and of a sweet, excel- 

 lent liavour. By being kept in a dry and suita- 

 ble temperature, they may be preserved till the ; 



SQUASH-BUG. 



following summer. Sow in April or May, as 

 soon as the frosts are over, and the earth be- 

 comes warm ; the early or summer varieties in 

 | hills 6 feet asunder ; the winter varieties in hills 

 | 8 feet asunder, and 4 plants may remain in a 

 hill. 



Autumnal marrow squash (Cucurbitasuccado"), 



; introduced to notice by John M. Ives, Esq., of 



Salem. A fine, new variety, of an ovate form, 



\ pointed; the skin extremely thin, of a cream- 



| colour; the flesh orange; the grain delicate, 



flavour excellent ; seeds large, pure white. 



Average weight, 8 pounds. It keeps well in 



winter. 



The scarlet summer squash is a new and 

 beautiful flat variety, from France, of the acorn 

 species, of a fine scarlet colour. 



The Valparaiso squash, the seeds of which 

 were brought from the Pacific by the late Com- 

 modore Porter, is a splendid vegetable, without 

 any neck, in shape and size somewhat resem- 

 bling a long watermelon, flattened, and of a 

 rich citron or orange colour. Mr. Comfort, 

 of Bucks county, near Philadelphia, has raised 

 some weighing 1 00 Ibs., which have been greatly 

 admired at agricultural and horticultural exhi- 

 bitions. This vegetable possesses all the good 

 qualities of the common kinds of pumpkin and 

 squash, of which it would seem to be a hybrid 

 variety, very superior to either. Being neither 

 watery or stringy, it makes a delicious pie, far 

 more rich and delicate than that of the ordi- 

 nary pumpkin. It is also served up at table 

 with meat, like the common squash, either 

 boiled, or baked like a loaf of bread or sweet 

 potato : containing a large amount of saccha- 

 rine and other nutritious properties, they are 

 also excellent food for farm-stock, especially 

 milch cows. They are cultivated like other 

 vegetables of the same family, but much care 

 must be observed to keep them at a considerable 

 distance from other varieties, with which they 

 have a strong tendency to mix, thus leading to 

 depreciation. They keep well in winter. 



SQUASH-BUG. The common American 

 squash-bug (Coreus tristis'), so well known for 

 the injurious effects of its punctures on the 

 leaves of squashes, is one of the most remarka- 

 ble insects belonging to the natural division, 

 which includes bed-bugs, fruit-bugs, and vari- 

 ous other fetid bugs (Hemipterd). It was first 

 described by De Geer, who gave it the specific 

 name of tristis, from its sober colour, which 

 Gmelin unwarrantably changed to mcestus, hav- 

 ing, however, the same meaning. Fabricius 

 called it Coreus rugator, the latter word signify- 

 ing one who wrinkles, which was probably 

 applied to this insect, because us punctures 

 cause the leaves of the squash to become 

 wrinkled. Mr. Say, not being aware that the 

 inset had already been three times named and 

 described, redescribed it under the name of 

 Coreus ordinatus. Of these four names, how 

 ever, that of tristis, being the first, is the only 

 one which it can retain. About the last of 

 October squash-bugs desert the plants upon 

 which they have lived during the summer, and 

 conceal themselves in crevices of walls and 

 fences, and other places of security, where 

 they pass the winter in a torpid state. On the 

 return of warm weather, they issue from 



1011 



