BIT 



BLA 



evils being broufjht about by birds. 

 To the apiarian llic bee martin is, 

 however, an nniiuestionable source of 

 annoyance, althougli tlie same bird 

 and all the genus are destructive to 

 other insects. 



BIRDLIME. A glutinous sub- 

 stance extracted by boiling the bark 

 of the holly-tree ; a similar substance 

 may be obtained from mistletoe, from 

 the young shoots of elder, and some 

 other plants. 



BIRD PEPPER. The small pep- 

 per, Capsicum haccatum, growing on a 

 shrub : it yields the hottest Cayenne 

 pepper. It is cultivated in Florida 

 and the Indies. 



BIRD'S FOOT TREFOIL. A Eu- 

 ropean genus (Lotus) of small clovers, 

 growing in pastures, and preserving 

 their verdure in the hot weather from 

 their long roots. They are inferior to 

 clover, and, with the exception of L. 

 villosus, which is an object of cultiva- 

 tion in France upon light soils, are nev- 

 er raised artificially. There does not 

 appear to be any true species of this 

 genus in the United States, and its in- 

 feriority to clover does not make it 

 desirable to introduce them. 



BIRD'S CHERRY. The Prunus 

 padus. A small, wild cherry, indige- 

 nous in England. 



BIRD'S MOUTH. In building, an 

 interior angle or notch, cut across 

 the grain at the extremity of a piece 

 of timber for its reception on the 

 edge of another piece ; as a rafter, 

 for instance, is received on a pole 

 plate. Bird's mouth signifies, also, 

 the internal angle of a polygon, its 

 external angle being called a bull's 

 nose. 



BIRD'S NEST. Indian pipe. Mo- 

 notropa uniflura. 



BISEXUAL. In plants, having 

 stamens and pistils in the same flow- 

 er. 



BISHOPING. A cant word for 

 disguising the age of a horse. 



BISON. Bee Buffalo. 



BISTORT. The Polygonum Us- 

 torta. An acrid plant when fresh. 



BISULCATE. With two fissures, 

 two -boo fed. 



BIT. The iron part of the bri- 

 94 



die, which goes into the mouth of a 

 horse. 



BITTER ALMOND. A variety of 

 the almond of a bitter taste. 



BITTER PRINCIPLE. An obso- 

 j letc term in chemistry, signifying that 

 I the dried juice of a plant contained a 

 bitter ingredient. The bitterness does 

 not depend upon any general princi- 

 ple, but upon a particular body, some- 

 times present in no other plant, as 

 quinine, strychnine, &c. 

 I BITTERN. The residue after 

 evaporatmg sea water and removing 

 the salt. It contains sulphate of mag- 

 nesia and chloride of magnesia, as 

 well as small quantities of soda, pot- 

 ash, and bromides. It would unques- 

 tionably be a valuable manure, and 

 should be tried in small quantities 

 wherever the opportunity offers. 



BITTER SPAR. Crystallized dol- 

 omite. Carbonate of lime and mag- 

 nesia. 



BITTER SWEET. An extensive 

 genus {Solarium), \.\\e berries of which, 

 of a red and dark colour, are very 

 poisonous. 



BITUMEN. A mineral pitch. Sev- 

 eral varieties, as petroleum, asphal- 

 tum, mineral tar, and naphtha, are dis- 

 tinguished. 



BIXA. The genus yielding the B. 

 orellana or arnotta. 



BLACK. As a colour for horses*, 

 this is not preferred : there are said 

 to be fewer good an imals of this colour 

 than any other. It is supposed that 

 those of a high gloss and white legs 

 are the best kind. 



BLACKBERRY, or BRAMBLE. 

 This term is generally used to indi- 

 cate the Rubrus villosus, or common 

 erect, and R. trwialis, creeping dew- 

 berry. The fruit is wholesome, and 

 commands a good price in cities, so 

 that near Boston they are cultivated. 

 It makes excellent jam and preserves, 

 as well as a good wine. The tall 

 bramble is a good adjunct to the com- 

 mon rail fence in arable land ; but its 

 decaying branches injure meadows. 

 In other parts of the field they are a 

 serious nuisance, especially the creep- 

 ing plant, and require grubbing for ex- 

 termination, followed by a sufficient 



