RAl 



RAP 



cay, become converted into carbonate ; 

 of ammonia, in the same way as hair 

 and horns, with which manures lliey : 

 are identical. I 



R A G \\' E E D, GROUNDSEL. 

 Composite-flowered weeds. ' 



R A I L. The iiorizontal parts of 

 framing. Pieces of limber of 12 feet, 

 used for fencing. I 



K A I N. Tlie water of Clouds, 

 which see. The average amount 

 that falls in tliis state is 35 inches, 

 the largest amount following south- 

 west and northwest winds. Rain is ! 

 a true manure, containing carbonic ' 

 acid, a little ammonia, and saline j 

 matters. It is preferable to preserve I 

 it in tanks, for watering gardens, 

 than to use well water. 



RAINBOW. A display of the pris- ' 

 niatic colours in the air, produced by 

 the action of particles of water on the 

 sun's rays. 



RAIN GAUGE. An instrument 

 to measure the amount of rain fallen. 

 A convenient form of the jnstrument 

 is represented in the anne.x- 

 ed figure, where the rain 

 which enters the funnel is 

 collected in a cylindrical ■ 

 vessel of copper, connected \ 

 with which, at the lower \ 

 part, is a glass tube with an 

 attached scale. The water 

 stands at the same height in the cyl- 

 inder and glass tube, and being visi- 

 ble in the latter, the height is read i 

 immediately on the scale ; and the 

 cylinder and tube being constructed 

 so that the sum of the areas of their 

 sections is a given part, fur instance, 

 a tenth, of the area of the funnel at 

 its orifice, each inch of water in the 

 tube is equivalent to the tenth of an 

 inch of water entering the moulh of 

 the funnel. A stop-cock is added, | 

 by which the water is drawn olTwhen 

 the observation is made. It should ; 

 be placed in an open space. I 



RAISINS. Grapes allowed to dry 

 on the vine. As soon as they are 

 ripe, the leaves are pruned off", and 

 none hut sound fruit left. The stalk 

 is also half cut through. When dry, 

 they are plucked, dipped in a solution ! 

 of lye, and dried ou frames. 1 



050 



RAISING PLATE. The timber 

 to which the upper ends of the raf- 

 ters are nailed. 



RAKE. An implement consisting 

 of one or more rows of long teeth, 

 to tear the ground or collect hay, 

 &.C. The revolving hay rake is fig- 

 ured under Hay-makin!:. Tlie horse- 

 rake is only a large rake drawn by a 

 horse, and furnished with handles to 

 he held by a labourer. 



R A M. The male of the sheep. 

 See Sheep. 



R AMENTA. Thin, brown scales 

 seen on ferns and voung shoots. 



RAMOSE. Branched. 



RAMPIONS. Campanula rapun- 

 cuius. This is cultivated, to a limit- 

 ed extent, for its roots, which are 

 said to be better than radishes. They 

 are cultivated like radishes, and are 

 fit for use in September and the fall. 

 The soil should be rather moist. The 

 roots are eaten raw, in salads, sliced 

 \\ ith the leaves, or they may be boiled, 

 and treated as asparagus. Seed is 

 obtained by setting out a few of the 

 last year's roots in spring. 



R.ANID.E. The reptiles resem- 

 bling the frog (rana). 



RANUNCULUS. Plants resem- 

 bling the buttercup and crowsfoot. 

 They are vile weeds in meadows, 

 many of tliein being acrid and poi- 

 sonous. They have been much im- 

 proved for the flower garden. 



RAPE. Brassica napus. " This 

 plant, which is of the cabbage tribe, 

 is cultivated, like cole, or colza, for 

 the sake of its seeds, from which oil 

 is extracted by grinding and i)ressure. 

 It is also extensively cultivated in 

 England for the succulent food which 

 its thick and fleshy stem and leaves 

 supply to sheep when other fodder is 

 scarce. 



"The mode of cultivation of the col- 

 za and rape for seed is nearly the same. 

 The colza takes a longer time to come 

 to maturity, and produces more seed. 

 The rape grows on less fertile soils, 

 and may be sowed in spring as well 

 as in autumn. Both are hardy, and 

 resist the winter's frost. 



" The seed-bed. where the cultiva- 

 tion is on a small scale, is usually 



