FIR 



FIS 



mixture from the precipitate or dregs, 



by passing through a close tissue. ' 

 For chemical purposes, w'/ii/c blotting 

 paper, caUcd Jilicriiifr pajjcr, is used, 

 folded into a conical form, and placed 

 on a funnel. The fluid which runs ! 

 through is called the filtrate. In quan- 

 titative analysis the filters are weigh- 

 ed before use, and when properly 

 dried with the precipitate, and re- 

 weighed, give the amount of the lat- 

 ter with the best results. Sometimes 

 the paper is burned with the precipi- 

 tate, the known weight of its ash- 

 es being deducted from the whole 

 weight. For common purposes, stout 

 cotton cloth or porous earthen-ware 

 are used. 



FIMBRIATE ( from fimbria , a 

 fringe). Any long, fringe-like mar- 

 gin to animal or vegetable organs. 



FIX. The cutting plate fixed be- 

 fore the mould-board of a plough, and 

 answering for a coulter. 



FINCHED. In stock, marked with 

 white streaks. 



FINGER GRASS. Digitaria 

 sanguinalis. An unimportant plant, 

 sometimes erroneously called cocks- 

 foot. See Grasses. 



FINGERS AND TOES. See An- 

 hury. 



Finos, second best wool from 

 Merinos. 



FIORIN. Agrostis stolonifera. A 

 creeping, bent perennial grass. It 

 was over-estimated by Richardson, 

 and is unsuited for rotations, from its 

 vivacious nature. See Grasses. 



FIR. The European popular name 

 for the larger pine-trees. See Pine. 



FIRE-BLIGHT, FIRING. When 

 the leaves of a growing plant or tree 

 become brown and dead, either in 

 part or entirely, it is said to be fired 

 or fire-blasted. It is distinctly due 

 to three causes : 1st. When it occurs 

 in the lower leaves of a tall vegeta- 

 ble, the leaves have performed their 

 office, and are no longer supplied with 

 sap, and therefore die ; 2d. It attacks 

 growing leaves in spots or blotches : 

 this is especially the case with to- 

 bacco, hops, &c. In these cases the 

 weather has been wet and moist for 

 some time,and becomes suddenly very 

 284 



hot ; the firing occurs in July and 

 August, during the hottest season. 

 There is no doubt here that the first 

 excess of sap during the wet days 

 has ruptured the skin of the leaf or 

 otherwise disorganized it, and the hot 

 sun dries up the part, causing its 

 death. 3d. The fire-blight of pear 

 and other fruit trees is demonstrably 

 due to numberless aphides, which, 

 suddenly assailing the upper branch- 

 es, destroy the leaves by their punc- 

 tures, which then become brown by 

 the action of the sun. The only re- 

 source is to prune the branches so in- 

 fested, and destroy them at once. 



FIRE-DAMP. The inflammable 

 gas of bituminous coal-mines. Car- 

 burets of hydrogen. 



FIRE-FANGED. Dried up. When 

 manure, or composts, in which heat 

 is generated, become too hot, the 

 parts assume a baked appearance and 

 ashy colour, and are said to be fire- 

 fanged. The composts should be ta- 

 ken to pieces, mixed with a quantity 

 of moist garden or fine soil, and put 

 up in less heaps. 



FIRE-FLY. Elatcr noctiluca. An 

 herbivorous insect of the click or 

 spring beetle genus. 



FIRING. In farriery, a heathen- 

 ish application of red-hot irons, prac- 

 tised by ignorant and brutal men, for 

 the removal of sprains, &c. Its use 

 almost amounts to a confession of 

 ignorance. 



FIRKIN. A measure of 253S cu- 

 bic inches, or 7^ imperial gallons, be- 

 ing the fourth part of a beer barrel. 

 Butter is packed in barrels called fir- 

 kins, but weighed, not measured. 



FIRLOT. A provincial, Scotch 

 dry measure. The wheat firlot is 

 only y/gths of the bushel ; the barley 

 firlot IS nearly \h bushel. 



FISH. On the seacoast fish is 

 abundantly used as manure. The 

 most common way is to spread the 

 fish, and plough under in the course 

 of a few days. The application made 

 by the English farmers is from twen- 

 ty-five to forty bushels per acre, but 

 on Long Island much more is employ- 

 ed. This is, however, an extrava- 

 gant way of using them. The best 



