NEW 



.MD 



burning is lessened by vinegar and 

 oil. A rennet is made by adding salt 

 to a strong decoction of nettles. Ass- 

 es eat the common nettle, and some- 

 times the boiled sprouts are used as 

 vegetables. The commonest sting- 

 ing species are U. dioica, urcns. Can- 

 adensis, and proccra. The common 

 nettle (dioica) is a troublesome peren- 

 nial weed in cultivated lands, and re- 

 quires to be ploughed out by tUlage. 

 The U. nivca and cannabma yield fine 

 hemp. The U. Canadensis, Canada 

 or Albany nettle, grows si.K feet high, 

 is indigenous, perennial, and has been 

 recommended as a hemp plant. It is, 

 however, covered with stings. 



XETTLE-TREE. The genus Cel- 

 tis, amentaceous trees. The princi- 

 pal American species is the C. occi- 

 dcntaits, the sugar or pompion berry. 

 It is seldom twenty feet in the Mid- 

 dle States, but becomes seventy on 

 the Savannah. It is ornamental, with 

 small, white flowers, and sweet, red- 

 dish fruit. 



NETS. They are useful in the or- 

 chard and garden to protect seed and 

 fruit from buds. 



NEURALGIA. Pain of the nerves. 

 NEURILEMA. The covering of 

 the nerves. 



NEUROPTERA. Insects with 

 four netted wings. See Insects. 



NEUTERS. Infertile animals or 

 plants, having neither stamens nor 

 pistils. 



N E U T R A L, N E U T R A L I- 

 ZATIOX, NEUTRALIZED. The 

 combination of an acid with an alka- 

 li, or of two active bodies together, 

 by which the properties of either are 

 perfectly destroyed. The addition 

 must be made in the proportion of 

 their equivalents to produce neutral 

 compounds. 



NEUTRAL SALTS. Salts which 

 betray neither an acid nor alkaline re- 

 action. 



NEWEL. In building, the space 

 around which a flight of steps is 

 turned. 



.^NEW-JERSEY TEA. Ceanothus 

 Americana. A common marsh shrub 

 with fragrant bunches of flowers. It 

 was used in the Revolution for tea. 

 X X 



NEW HUSBANDRY. The drill 

 and horse-hoe husbandry. 



NEW RED SANDSTONE. The 

 series of strata lying immediately 

 above the coal formation. It con- 

 sists of conglomerates, and contains 

 marl, gypsum, and large quantities 

 of rock salt. It is found abundantly 

 in New-York, the Valley of Virginia, 

 and of the Connecticut. 

 I NEW ZEALAND FLAX. Pkor- 

 j mium tenax. Iris-leaved flax lily. It 

 grows with broad, stiff leaves, like 

 ! those of lilies, the fibres of which are 

 readily obtained by rotting. They 

 I are of extraordinary strength, and 

 i used for fishmg-lines, cordage, and 

 j coarse cloth. It requires a warm 

 climate for successful cultivation. 



NICARAGUA WOOD. The dye- 

 wood of the CcBsalpina echinata, a tree 

 of South America. The red colour 

 is fugitive with solution of tin. 



NICHE. A recess in a wall for a 

 statue. 



NICKEL. A rare white metal, 

 like iron. Its salts are green for the 

 most part. It exists in meteoric 

 stones. 



NICKIXG AXD DOCKIXG. 

 Pricking. Cutting offpart of a horse's 

 tail, and making nicks on the under 

 side, to divide the two cords which 

 draw down the tail ; this causes the 

 stump to stand out in what a stable- 

 boy supposes a graceful fashion. It 

 is nearlv obsolete. 



NICOTIX, NTCOTINA. An ac- 

 rid, soluble, volatile alkaloid found 

 in tobacco. It combines with acids, 

 and forms salts. It is very poisonous. 

 NICOTIAXIX. A fatty, volatile, 

 azotized body, insoluble in water, 

 ibrmed during the fermentation of 

 tobacco in preparing for the market, 

 and to which its odour is due. It is 

 poisonous, especially to insects and 

 reptiles. 



XICTITATION. Winking. Tlie 

 movement of the membrane covering 

 the eyes of birds and some animals, 

 called the mcmbrana niclilans. 



NIDUS. A nest. A suitable po- 

 sition or matrix for development. 

 Nidulus and nidulate are deriva- 

 tives. 



517 



