SEN 



SER 



in two or three years, but if kept ab- 

 solutely dry, or out of the contact 

 of air, some retain their vitality for 

 ages. 



Manuring the seed by steeps, and 

 rolling them in mixtures of blood and 

 lime, &c., has of late been practised 

 with great success ; at all events, it 

 seems to destroy rust and many in- 

 sects. 



The preceding table shows the 

 quantities of seed usually sown in 

 England per acre. They exceed our 

 applications, but their harvests are 

 very superior. 



SEED LIP. A sowing basket. 



SEED LOBES. Tiie lleshy sub- 

 stance of the seed, the cotyledons : 

 there are two in dicolijledonous or 

 exogenous plants, but one in endo- 

 gens, such as grasses, cerealia, palms. 



SEEL. A season. 



SEGMENT. A slice, a portion 

 cut from a solid by a line or plane. 



S E L E N I T E. CrystaUized sul- 

 phate of lime. 



SELENIUM. An elementary body 

 closely resembling sulphur. Selenic 

 acid is isomorphous with sulphuric 

 acid : it is very rare. 



SELLENDERS. A skin disease 

 of the bend of the hock in horses, 

 produced by want of cleanliness : the 

 part is to be kept clean. 



SEME I OTIC. Relating to the 

 signs or svmptoms of diseases. 



SENEGA ROOT, SENECA 

 S N A K E R O T. Polygala senega. 

 A perennial-rooted, common plant, 

 especially in the South, the roots of 

 which are used as an expectorant : 

 it is not to be trusted as a remedy 

 for snake bites. 



SENNA. Cassia {acutifolia, oho- 

 vata, &c.,) senna. A small legumin- 

 ous shrub of Africa and .Vrabia, the 

 leaves of which are much employed 

 in decoction as a purge. The Mary- 

 land senna (C. Marylandka) is of the 

 same genus, but a perennial herb ; it 

 grows from four to six feet high : the 

 leaves should be collected in August 

 and carefully dried. 



SENSIBLE FROG. The part of 

 a horse's hoof immediately above the 

 bony covering ; the fleshy sole. 



M M M 2 



SENSITIVE PLANTS. Plants 

 or shrubs of the genus Mimosa, whose 

 leaves fold when touched, or shaded 

 from the sun. 



SEPA LS. The leaflets of the calvx. 



SEPTUM, SEPTA. A partition, 

 especially in a seed vessel. 



SEPTARIA. Large nodules or 

 masses of a marly clay found in some 

 geological formations ; when burned, 

 they form Roman cement, which has 

 the property of hardening under 

 water. 



SEPTEMBER. This is the month 

 for sowing wheat ; corn is gathered, 

 and preparations are made to fatten 

 off the stock for sale ; prejiare for ma- 

 king cider, and let the root crops be 

 hoed and kept in good order, for they 

 grow nuich this nionth : potatoes are 

 to be taken up as soon as the vines 

 die. 



In the garden, fiill crops are to be 

 attended to ; buddmg can also be 

 practised on some trees. In the 

 South, tobacco is ripening, cotton is 

 to he picked, and preparations for the 

 sugar harvest are to be made at the 

 end of the month. Wheat, rye, and 

 winter barley are to be sowed. 



SEPTIC. Substances or causes 

 hastening putrefaction. 



SERICEUS. Silky, covered with 

 short, soft hairs. 



SERICIC or MYRISTIC ACID. 

 An oily acid obtained from the butter 

 of nutmegs. 



SERON. A bufTalo's hide used 

 for packing drugs. 



SEROSITY, SEROUS FLUID. 

 See Serum. 



SERPENTINE. An injected 

 rock of a greenish colour, consisting 

 of a silicate of magnesia (43 percent.), 

 with various proportions of iron and 

 alumina. 



SERRATE. Having an edge cut 

 into sharp teeth, like a saw. 



SERKICORNS. A coleopterous 

 family, many of which have serrated 

 antenna;. 



SERUM. The fluid portion of the 

 blood ; it consists of a solution of al- 

 bumen in soda, with salts, and con- 

 Lams 7 per cent, solid matter : in the 

 form of a secretion from membranes, 



6S9 



