ACU 



AGA 



casionally they are united with vege- 

 table alkalies. 



As food, the acids are not of much 

 moment ; they do, however, serve to 

 sustain the heat of the body by fur- 

 nishing carbon for the respiratory 

 function. 



ACINACIFORM. Of a curved fig- 

 ure, like the cimeter. 



ACINUS. The small and separate 

 carpels of a compound succulent fruit. 

 ACOMTINE. Tlie poisonous al- 

 kaloid of Monk's-hood. 



ACORN. The fruit of the oak. 

 That of the live oak and other species 

 is sweet and agreeable : it is an ad- 

 mirable food for pigs, and in England 

 commands 37.V cents the bushel. 



ACOTYLEDONS. Plants desti- 

 tute of seed-lobes, the cryptogamia 

 of Linnaeus, including fungi, mosses, 

 sea-weeds, ferns. 



ACRE. A standard land meas- 

 ure. The imperial acre is subdivided 

 into 



4 roods, each rood 40 perches. 

 160 perches, 16 feet and a half 

 each. 

 4840 square yards, 9 feet each. 

 43,560 square feet, 144 inches 



each. 

 174,240 squares of six inches each, 

 36 inches each. 

 6,272,640 inches, or squares of one 

 inch each. 

 From this table the farmer can 

 readily discover how many plants can 

 be set in the acre, according as they 

 are one yard, one loot, &,c., apart 

 each way. 



ACROGENS, The same as cryp- 

 togamia or acotyledons. 



ACRID. Abiting, nauseous taste, 

 often producing blistering, belonging 

 to many poisonous plants. 

 ACROLEIN. See Glycerine. 

 ACROSPIRE. The young up- 

 ward shoot of germinating seeds. 

 ACRYDIUM. A genus of locusts. 

 ACTINOLITE. A variety of horn- 

 blende. 



ACTINOMETER. An instrument 

 to measure the intensity of the sun's 

 rays. 



ACULEATE. Furnished with 

 prickles. 

 B 



ACULEATES. The insects of the 

 bee and wasp kind, furnished with 

 stings. 



ACUMINATE. Tapering to a 

 point. 



ADDUCTORS. Those muscles 

 which draw the parts to which they 

 are attached together : they are op- 

 posed to the abductors. 



ADEPS. Lard. 



ADIANTU.VI. A genus of elegant 

 ferns : the fructification is in short 

 marginal lines. 



ADIPOSE. Fatty, as the adipose 

 tissues. 



ADNATE. Adhering, growing, or 

 attached to the surface. 



ADVENTITIOUS. Occurring in 

 an unusual manner, as when a bud 

 arises from the root of a plant. 



ADULARIA. A brilliant crystal- 

 line feldspar. 



AERATING. Introducing air or 

 gases. 



.f:STIVATION. The manner in 

 which the parts of the flower bud are 

 folded together. 



^THEOGAMOUS PLANTS. 

 The cryptogamia. 



AETHER. See Ether. 



AETIOLOGY. The study of the 

 causes of disease. 



AFFINITY. In natural history, 

 the close resemblance of animals or 

 plants in their organization. 



Affinity. In chemistry, the force 

 which combines dissimilar bodies to- 

 gether in precise proportions. See 

 Atom. 



AFTER-GRASS. The second crop 

 of grass from lands mowed the same 

 year. 



AFTER-MATH. The second mow- 

 ing of permanent meadows the same 

 year. It is free from flower stems, 

 and often much more nutritious than 

 the first crop ; but it is customary to 

 feed it off" by sheep or cattle instead 

 of cutting. 



AGAMOUS. Cryptogamic plants. 



AGARICUS. A genus of mush- 

 rooms distinguished by plaits or gills 

 under the cap, which are arranged 

 nearly parallel. Several are nutritious 

 and of a delicate flavour, as A. cam- 

 pestris (the common mushroom), chan- 



9 



