CUR 



CUT 



taceons flowers and peculiarly veined 

 leaves from all European trees ; and 

 from other plants by their apetalous 

 calj'x, fruit enclosed in a husk or cup ; 

 and by their nuts, which contain but 

 one cell and one or two seeds. This 

 order comprehends the oak, hazel, 

 beech, chestnut, and hornbeam, well- 

 known valuable forest trees. 



CURACOA. A liqueur which de- 

 rives its name from the island of Cu- 

 racoa : it is prepared in great per- 

 fection by the Dutch. It derives its 

 flavour from Seville orange peel, with 

 a small quantity of cinnamon and 

 mace. 



CURCULIO. A general term in 

 the United States for the coleopter- 

 ous insects which devour fruits, or the 

 larvfe of which do so. They are par- 

 ticularly destructive to plums, apri- 

 cots, and peaches, as well as nuts. 

 The introduction of poultry into the 

 orchard, especially hens in coops with 

 broods, hogs, paving the ground, sha- 

 king the trees, and other expedients, 

 are used. Destroying every fruit 

 which they cause to fall is useful. 

 But suitable attention to the trees, 

 scraping, cleaning with suds, solution 

 of soft soap and whale oil soap, are 

 quite effective. See Insects. 



CURD. The coagulum of milk. 



CURL. A disease of potatoes, 



CURRANT. The white and red 

 are improved varieties of Ribes ru- 

 brum, the blacks from R. nigrum. 

 The most esteemed kinds are the 

 Dutch red and white, white crystal, 

 Champagne, and black Naples. It is 

 propagated by slips, layers, suckers, 

 grafting, and seeds. A warm, loamy, 

 rich soil is best ; they thrive in free 

 exposures. They bear on two and 

 three years' spurs ; in pruning, cut 

 down new shoots to within three 

 eyes of the starting place. They 

 should be kept open, suckers remo- 

 Ted, and not be allowed to branch 

 too low : four feet apart is a good 

 distance for bearing shrubs. The 

 currant is very healthy, but subject 

 to many caterpillars, aphides, &c., 

 which must be destroyed by slacked 

 lime, and keeping the branches clean 



by a syringe. The fruit makes admi- 

 rable jelly, wine, and is readily kept. 



CURRYING. The preparation of 

 leather by which it is polished and 

 rendered soft. See Tanniyig. 



CUSCUTA. The generic name of 

 the dodders. 



CUSPIDATE (from cuspis, a point). 

 Pointed, a term used in descriptive 

 botany. 



CUSTARD APPLE. A West In- 

 dian fruit, the Anona reticulata. 



CUT. An incision, best treated 

 with sticking-plaster only. 



CUTANEOUS (from cutis, the 

 skin). Relating to the skin. 



CUTICLE. The external delicate 

 membrane of the true skin ; the epi- 

 dermis of plants. 



CUT WORM. This name is ap- 

 plied to any caterpillar dwelling in 

 the earth, which eats or cuts away 

 young plants of cabbage, corn, beans, 

 &c. They are naked, of a greasy 

 appearance, and ashy green ; are only 

 seen above ground before sunrise or 

 in cloudy weather. They abound in 

 lands which are rich, and have re- 

 mained in grass or clover for a long 

 time, and are referred chiefly to the 

 genus Agrostis, especially A. suffusa. 

 Mens, telifera, but are also the worms 

 of other genera. The moths are 

 large, and of various shades of pink 

 and brow^n : they are formed in July 

 and August 



Means of destroying them. — Soak- 

 ing seeds does no good in this case. 

 Working soot, tobacco, ashes, lime, 

 and other noxious substances into 

 the soil around the plants answers 

 on a small scale. Picking them be- 

 fore sunrise is recommended, but is 

 very tedious ; young chickens would 

 assist. Wrapping the leaves of oth- 

 er plants about young cabbages, &c., 

 has also answered. But when the 

 soil is infested with these creatures, 

 it is best to add a good salting of 15 

 or 20 bushels the acre, or 50 bush- 

 els of fresh lime ; expose it to frost 

 in the fall, and give the worms no 

 rest by frequent stirring of the earth. 



CUTTING. When a horse cuts 

 or wounds one leg with the opposite 

 foot. The best remedy is to put on 



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