SMU 



SNE 



given to a small wild plum, the Pru- 

 7IUS spinosa, wliich is used as a dwarf 

 stock for grafting plums. In the 

 United States it is given to the Pru- 

 nus pi/gmcEii, and also the Viburnum 

 prunifolium. 



SLOUGH. A name given to 

 decayed matters separating from a 

 wound : proud flesh ; a muddy hole. 

 It may he remedied in a road hy sink- 

 ing pehl)les and small stones into it. 



SLUGS. Naked moluscous ani- 

 mals. See Insec/s. This name is 

 also given to the larva; of some saw- 

 flies which infest pear, ciierry, and 

 other trees. They are all destroyed 

 by salt, lime, or whale-oil soap solu- 

 tion. 



SLUICE. A frame of timher, 

 stone, or other solid substance, serv- 

 ing to retain and raise the water of a 

 river or canal, and, when necessary, 

 to give it vent. See Irrigation. 



S M U T. For an account of the 

 various diseases known under this 

 name, see Burned Ear and Uredo. 

 The best preventives known are to 

 keep the lands occasionally limed or 

 salted, never using too much rank 

 stable manure without some saline 

 matters ; and, secondly, steeping the 

 seeds before sowing in solution of 

 sulphate of copper (blue vitriol). One 

 ounce and a (juarter of the salt is used 

 to a bushel of wheat : it is dissolv- 

 ed in just enough water to wet the 

 grain, which is steeped for three 

 quarters of an hour, and dried by be- 

 ing spread out. A strong brine and 

 milk of lime are also used with good 

 success ; but the copper solution is 

 very superior. 



SMUT MACHINES, or GRAIN 

 CLEANERS. These are of service 

 to the miller chiefly. They consist 

 of interior brushes revolving in a 

 roughened cylinder, usually set in an 

 inclined direction. The brushes rub 

 the grain against the rough surface, 

 and by this means rub off the smut, 

 or break open the injured kernels. 

 A fan is added for the purpose of 

 driving a current of air through the 

 cylinder, which carries off the sumt 

 balls and other light rubbish out 

 above, and allows the perfect grains 

 P p p 2 



to reach the bottom of the cylinder 

 and pass out. There are a great 

 number of patents : those of Messrs. 

 Young, Henry A. Buck, George D. 

 Waldo, and Wm. C. Grimes are in 

 great esteem. The figure represents 

 Messrs. Bird and Weld's machine ; 

 it possesses deciiled advantages, hav- 

 ing separate pulleys, d and c, to drive 



the fan and beating cylinder at dif- 

 ferent velocities, by which arrange- 

 ment buckwheat and other tender 

 grains may be cleansed without 

 breaking, by reducing the speed of 

 the beating cylinder, while a full cur- 

 rent of wind may be kept up with the 

 fan, running at any required speed 

 for that purpose. When in use, a 

 pipe is added to a, to increase the 

 draught, and a sieve at b, to separ- 

 ate the grain : c is the hopper. 



SNAILS. HdicidcE. See Insects. 

 SNAKEROOT, THE VIRGIN- 

 IAN. Arislolochia scrpcniaria. A 

 perennial-rooted plant, growing wild 

 in woodlands, the root of which is 



j collected for the druggists, and used 

 as a bitter and tonic. 



i SNE AD, or SNATHE. The han- 

 dle of the scythe : it should be of ash, 



I light, but not flexible. 



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