BAT 



BEA 



an alkaline earth closely resembling 

 lime, but not very abundant. Many 

 of its salts are isomorphous with those 

 of lime. 



BASALT. A rock of great hard- 

 ness and volcanic origin, containing 

 iron, lime, and sand. It does not dif- 

 fer from trSp except in colour, and 

 occasionally in putting on the colum- 

 nar form. The Palisades of the 

 Hudson are a range 40 miles long of 

 this rock. 



BASE. In chemistry, a term used 

 to designate those substances which 

 readily combine with acids, as alka- 

 lies, metallic oxides, &c. In general 

 terms, all substances which readily 

 combine with others. 



BASE. In architecture, a pedes- 

 tal. 



BASIL. A fragrant, aromatic, her- 

 baceous plant, the Oci/minn basilicum, 

 a native of India, wliose leaves are 

 much used in cookery for the purpose 

 of giving a savoury flavour to dishes. 



Basket, a vessel made of in- 

 terwoven twigs of willow, osier, birch, 

 splits of white oak, or of straw, grass, 

 or rushes. 



BASS. The inner bark of the lime 

 or linden tree [Tilia glabra), used by 

 gardeners to bind plants, and, in the 

 form of mats, to protect trees, frames, 

 &c. 



BASSORIX. A peculiar gum, re- 

 sembling gum tragacanth ; insoluble, 

 but swelling in water. It is sometimes 

 called Cerasin. 



BATH. In chemistry, sand, wa- 

 ter, or oil heated in a metallic vessel 

 for the purpose of communicating a 

 steady and regulated heat to chemi- 

 cal vessels in distillation, drying, or 

 evaporation. 



BATRACHIANS, BATRACHIA. 

 (Gr. (SaTpaxoc, a frog.) An order of 

 Reptilia, including the frogs and toads, 

 and all reptiles which, like them, have 

 naked skins and external branchiae in 

 the early stage of existence ; those 

 batrachia which retain the gills or gill- 

 apertures throughout life are called 

 " perennibranchiate," or " amphib- 

 ious." 



BATTATAS. A name for the 

 sweet potato. 



in 



BATTENS. Slips of wood two to 

 four inches broad. 



BAULK. A piece of whole timber 

 squared. In ploughing, strips of un- 

 ploughed land between furrows. 



BAUME'S AREOMETER, or HY- 

 DROMETER. A hydrometer, the 

 of which is pure water at 68° Fahr., 

 and the 15= the density of a mixture 

 of 15 parts common salt and 85 parts 

 water, by weight. See Hydrometer. 



BAY. The term for a colour in- 

 clining to chestnut. In reference to 

 a horse, this colour has various shades, 

 from the very light bay to the dark 

 bay, which approaches nearly to the 

 brown ; but it is always more gay 

 and shining. There are also coloured 

 horses that arc called dappled bays. 

 Bay horses have black manes, which 

 distinguish them from the sorrel, that 

 have red or white manes. There are 

 light bays and gilded baj-s, which are 

 somewhat of a yellowish colour. The 

 chestnut bay is that which comes near- 

 est to the colour of tfie chestnut. 



BAY. A common name for the 

 laurels, especially Laurvs nobilis. 

 Bay-berry is the Myrica cerifcra. 



BAY OF A BARN. The place 

 where the mow is stored. 



BAY SALT. Salt made by evap- 

 orating sea water in the sun. The 

 best is from Turk's Island. It is pre- 

 ferred for putting up pork and provis- 

 ions. 



BEAGLE. The old hare-hound, 

 now becoming superseded by the har- 

 rier. 



BEAK. Rostrum, the prolonged or 

 sharp termination of a fruit. 



BEAM. A stout, horizontal tim- 

 ber used to resist or sustain weight. 



BEAM OF A PLOUGH. The up- 

 per shaft to which the irons are fasten- 

 ed. It should be of good ash or oak. 



BEAM-TREE. Pyrtis aria. A 

 small tree with tough wood. 



BEANS. Plants belonging to the 

 natural family Legxaninosm. Two 

 genera are commonly included under 

 this name, Yicia and Phaseolus, of 

 which several species and numerous 

 varieties are cultivated. The genus 

 Phaseolus produces generally run- 

 ners, or pole beans, but this depends 



