BRU 



BUG 



panicles are forced ilown between 

 these rods, and then pulhd towards 

 A ; thus the seed is torn off, and slides 

 down the upper board into the barn. 



Tlie seeds are worth twenty-five to 

 thirty cents the bushel, and are con- 

 sidered eijual to oats. The broom 

 sells at from four to six cents the 

 pound. It is a very profitable crop, 

 and will remain so, from the large 

 exportations of brooms. The large 

 quantity of seed it produces consti- 

 tutes it a very exhausting crop. 



BROOM GRASS, or STRAW. 

 The genus Androposron, so called from 

 the little tufts of hair or beards on 

 their flowers. They are not introdu- 

 ced into culture, and have little eco- 

 nomical value. 



BROWN DYES. The common- 

 est are the decoctions of oak bark, 

 common bastard marjoram, walnut 

 peels, horse-chestnut peels, and cate- 

 chu. Oak bark and walnut (English 

 walnut is best) give dyes without 

 mordants, but are brightened by al- 

 um. Catechu (1 lb.) combined with 

 blue vitriol (4 oz.) gives a bronze 

 when used in a boiling solution. The 

 tints of brown are, however, so nu- 

 merous, that it is more common to 

 use madder as a basis for the red 

 tints, fustic for the yellows, and use 

 solution of iron and copper as mor- 

 dants, and even a gall-nut bath after- 

 ward, to reach the proper shade. 



BROWSE. The young branches 

 of trees, shrubs, &c. (c.) To feed. 



BRUCHUS. A Linnajan genus 

 of coleopterous insects, of the tribe 

 Rhyncophora, now the type of a fam- 

 ily {Biuchida), with the following 

 characters : upper lip distinct ; head 

 produced anteriorly into a broad, flat- 

 tened snout ; palpi tiliform ; antennae 

 filiform or serrate ; eyes notched ; 

 wing-sheaths not covering the ex- 

 tremity of the body. The insects of 

 this family deposite their eggs in the 

 young grains or seeds of legumin- 

 ous plants ; the time of the hatching 

 of the eggs is when the seeds have 

 approached to maturity, and then the 

 larvae begin to feed voraciously upon 

 them. One species, the Bnichus gra- 

 narius, infests our pease ; and the rav- 



IIG 



ages of this insect and the Brurhvs 

 pmi have been so extensive as to call 

 for legislative interference. 



BRUCIA. A vegetable alkaloid, 

 similar to strychnine, and poisonous. 



BRUMALIS. {Bru7na,winlcr.) Ap- 

 pertaining to winter. 



BRYONY. Bryonia dioica. A climb- 

 ing herb, of a poisonous nature. 



BUCK. The male of deer, rab- 

 bits, &c. 



BUCK-BEAN. Menyanthes trifoli- 

 ata. A swamp plant, with handsome 

 flowers and bitter leaves. The latter 

 are used as a substitute for hops, and 

 are a mild tonic. 



BUCK-EYE. Two western trees 

 bear this name, the Pavia lutca and 

 Ohioensis ; they belong to the same 

 family as the horse-chestnut. They 

 are wholly ornamental, the wood be- 

 ing of no value as timber. 



BUCK-THORN. The Rhamnus ca- 

 tharticus. A prickly shrub, suitable for 

 hedges. It is indigenous in New- 

 York, and easily cultivated by seeds, 

 slips, or suckers. The berries are ca- 

 thartic and griping. The R. infecto- 

 nus, a similar shrub, produces the fa- 

 mous French or Persian yellow ber- 

 ries used in dyeing. It might be read- 

 ily cultivated south of Maryland, as it 

 grows in Provence. 



BUCKWHEAT. The grain pro- 

 duced by the Polygonum fagopyrum 

 {a), tartaricum (b), and a few other 

 species. In the United States the 

 first only is cultivated ; but it is said 

 a new wild Italian species yields more 

 abundantly. The seeds are small, 

 dark, and angular. From twenty to 

 thirty bushels are obtained from the 

 common kind per acre. Bucksvheat 

 is usually sown on rocky places or 

 poor soils, of a silicious or calcare- 

 ous nature ; but it grows well nearly 

 anywhere. It may be sown in May 

 for a full crop ; or immediately after 

 wheat, rye, or oats, for a fall crop ; or 

 still later, to be fallowed in the fall. 

 j From 1 to U bushels are necessary to 

 the acre. It soon starts in a dry, 

 warm soil ; flowers in July or earlier, 

 and continues producing flowers for 

 some time. As it is a native of Per- 

 sia, the least frost is injurious ; it 



