STR 



STR 



= Scitaminccp, which include the ginger, 

 plantain, banuna, sugar cane, palms, 

 Orchidacca; ; and such dicotyledonous 

 l)lants as the bread fruit, the yam, 

 niangosteen, and other East Indian 

 plants. The bark bed is chiefly em- 

 ployed for producing a unil'orm de- 

 gree of moisture and heat to the 

 roots, and also as a reservoir of heat 

 for the atmosphere of the house in 

 case of any diminution from the flues, 

 water or steam pipes, or the sun. 

 Stoves of every description require a 

 constant degree of attention from the 

 gardener througiiout the year, more 

 especially such as are devoted to the 

 palms, the banana, the pineapple, and 

 the Orchidacca:.'' — {Lindlcij.) 



STOVER. Refuse hulls, coarse 

 fodder. 



STRAINING PIECE. A timber 

 intended to keep two posts or other 

 pieces at a certain distance. 



STR.\INS, SPRAINS. Injuries 

 produced by over-stretching the lig- 

 aments of muscles ; they are often 

 very severe, and require cupping and 

 leeching. Occasionally fomentations 

 are sufficient, with rest, and banda- 

 ging the part tightly. 



STRAMONIUM. Jamestown 

 weed. See Datura. 



STRANGLES. A disease of young 

 horses. See Horse, Diseases of. 



STRANGURY, or SUPPRES- 

 SION OF URINE, INCONTI- 

 NENCE OF URINE, BLOODY 

 URINE. " Strangury may arise from 

 an injury done to the kidneys, or to 

 the bladder, by strains, or by the ab- 

 sorption of irritating matters. In 

 these cases, bleed if there be fever ; 

 if not, merely give the horse absolute 

 rest ; mash him, g;ive gruel, and warm 

 the water given him for drink. Bloody 

 urine should be treated in the same 

 way. Some horses have such a nat- 

 ural or acquired weakness of kid- 

 neys, as to stale blood with their 

 urine on every occasion of over-ex- 

 ertion. The means frequently used 

 for relief are such as aggravate the 

 complaint, and, indeed, are often the 

 occasion of it, which are diuretics. 

 Strong diuretics injure horses more 

 than strong physic, and benefit them 



less than any other of the popular 

 means made use of In retentions of 

 urine, but particularly in the case of 

 bloody urine, they are absolutely im- 

 proper."' 



STRATH. A small valley. 



STRATUM. A bed of rock, or 

 other deposite. 



STRAW. The culm or stalk of 

 the cerealia. It is used both as litter 

 and fodder. For the latter purpose, 

 the different kinds are of unequal 

 value. See Food. 



STRAW CUTTER. A machine 

 to cut straw into chaff: a chaff en- 

 gine. The simplest kind is no more 

 than two, three, or more curved 

 knives working between iron bars ; 

 but the better sorts consist either of 

 knives set on a fly wheel, or on roll- 

 ers which press on the straw as it is 

 pushed along the feeding-trough, or 

 hopper. In the best, the straw is 

 pulled forward by the machine, so 

 that the labourer has only to turn the 

 handle and feed the hopper. The 

 number of patents is very great. 

 The machines of Willis, Boynton, 

 Green, Worley, Hovey. Safford, Sand- 

 ford, and Botts are well known. The 

 cost IS from SI5 to §50, and they cut 

 from five to tliirty bushels per hour. 

 An English machine, by W. Lester, is 

 a very simple and admirable contri- 

 vance. Sandford's machine is of a 

 durable construction, and the knives 

 are readilv sharpened. Price, Sl5. 



STRaVvBERRY. This admirable 

 fruit is yielded by several species of 

 the genus Fragaria. The European 

 wood is F. vesca ; the scarlets are 

 from F. Virginiana ; the Alpines from 

 F. collina ; and the F. Carolmcnsis, 

 elatior, Chiliensis, also furnish some 

 of the best kinds. 



" The best soil is a strong, rich 

 loam, and one that is tolerably adhe- 

 sive and retentive of moisture ; for, 

 as strawberries are generally injured 

 in this country by excessive drought, 

 it is best to provide against this ca- 

 lamity by planting them in a rather 

 ' wet soil. A rich soil, however, is 

 \ not indispensable, as almost any 

 mould that is not too dry will pro- 

 : duce a greater or 'ess quantity of fruit. 



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