BAS 



[ 105 ] 



BAT 



hazel rods should have a coating of boiled 

 linseed-oil applied. 



BASS or BAST MATS. These are chiefly 

 made in Kussia, from the inner bark of 

 trees (bast in the Kuss language). Their 

 best use is as a packing-envelope ; for, as 

 a protection to wall-trees, they are inferior 

 to netting, and to standard shrubs, struc- 

 tures made of straw (sec SHELTERS) are 

 to be preferred. They are very service- 

 able, however, to place over beds of early 

 spring radishes, &c., to prevent the night 

 radiation. This is quite as effectual, 

 much cleaner, and less troublesome than 

 a covering of straw. Shreds of these 

 mats are also useful for many gardening 

 purposes where a ligature or string is 

 required. One of the principal of these 

 is for binding a bud or scion in its place 

 on the stock after grafting. For this we 

 prefer the new Cuba bast; but the finest 

 of the ordinary Prussian mats will answer 

 equally well, perhaps better, provided 

 the material is very fine and very tough. 

 In selecting a mat for this pui-pose, the 

 best may be distinguished by two or 

 three qualities : First, whatever colour 

 the bast be, it must feel silky and some- 

 what oily to the touch. A full reliance 

 must not be placed on this alone, how- 

 ever; but the strength should be tested 

 by cutting off a fine-looking strand, and 

 stripping off a narrow piece as fine as 

 twine. This, if good, should withstand 

 a considerable amount of tension: it is 

 well, however, to try a second piece. As 

 to colour, such is generally a pale straw. 



BA'SSIA. (Named after M. Bassi, cu r 

 rator of the Botanic Garden at Boulogne. 

 Nat. ord., Sapotads [Sapotacese]. Linn., 

 ll-Dodecandria 1-jlfonogynia.) 



The Bassias are trees of some importance in 

 India. B. butyra'cea yields a thick, oil-like 

 butter from its fruit, or muhva. B. latifo'lia fur- 

 nishes a kind of arrack, called moura, by distil- 

 ling the leaves. The fruit of the lilupie-tree, B. 

 longif(/lin, yields oil for lamps, soap-making, and 

 also for food ; and Mungo Park's Butter-tree was 

 ;i species of Bassia. Stove trees. Cuttings of 

 ripened young shoots in April, in heat, under a 

 bell-glass ; peat and loam. Summer temp., 6l) 

 to 70 ; winter, 55 to 60. 



B. butyra'cea (buttery). 40. Nepaul. 1823. 



littifo'lia (broad-leaved). 40. Yellow. E. Ind. 



longifo'lia (long-leaved). 40. E. Ind. 1811. 



BASTABD ACACIA. Eobi'nia pseu'do- 

 aca'cia. 



BASTAED ATOCION. Sile'ne pseu'do- 

 uto'cion, 



BASTARD BALM. MeWtta. 



BASTARD Box. Poly'cala. 



BASTAED CABBAGE-TREE. 



BASTARD CEDAR. Guazu'ma and' Ce- 

 dre'la. 



BASTARD CHERRY. Ce'rasm pseu'do- 

 ce'rasus. 



BASTARD CINNAMON. Cinnamo'mum 

 ca' ssia. 



BASTABD CORK-TREE. Que'rcus pseu'do- 

 sn'ber. 



BASTARD CRACCA. Vi'ciapseu'do-cra'cca. 

 BASTARD DICTAMNUS. Beringe'ria 

 pseu'do-dicla'mmis. 



BASTARD GROUND-PINE. Teu'crinm 

 pseu'do-chumte'pitys. 



BASTARD HARE'S-EAR. Phy'llis. 



BASTARD HYSSOP. Teu'crium pseu'do- 

 hysso'pus. 



BASTARD INDIGO. Amo'rpha. 



BASTARD JASMINE. Andro'sace chama- 

 ja'sme. 



BASTARD LUPINE. Trifo'lium luplna's- 

 ter. 



BASTARD MANCHINEEL. Camera'ria. 



BASTARD MOUSE-EAR. Hiera'cium 

 })seu' do-pilose' I/a. 



BASTARD OLBIA. Lava'lera o'lbia. 



BASTARD TOAD-FLAX. The'sium. 



BASTARD QUINCE. Py'rus-chamamc's- 

 pilns. 



BASTARD VERVAIN. Stachyta'rpheta. 



BASTARD VETCH. Pha'ca. 



BASTARD WIND-FLOWER. Gentia'na 

 pseu'do-pneumonn' nthe. 



BASTARD WOOD-SAGE. Teu'crium 

 pseu' do-scorodo' n ia. 



BATA'TAS. (Aboriginal name. Nat. 

 ord., Bindweeds [ConvolvulaceseJ. Linn.. 

 $-Pentaridria l-Monoyynia. Allied to 

 Pharbitis and Ipomsea.) 



All stove deciduous climbers. Cuttings of 

 stumpy side-shoots, or young shoots slipped from 

 the tubers, just as they bepn to grow ; in sandy 

 soil, in bottom-heat, and under a hand-glass; 

 rich, sandy loam and finry peat, with manure- 

 water when growing. Temp., summer, 60 to 

 85, with moisture ; winter, 48 to 55. 



B.beta'cea (beet-like). 6. Pale violet. Deme; 

 rara. 1S3Q. 



Bignonioi'des (Biunonia-like). Dark purple 



July. Cayenne. 1824. 



Bonariensis (Buenos Ayres). 10. Purple. 



Cavanille'sii (Cavanilles']. White, red. Au- 



gust. 1815. 



- edu'lis (eatable -fruited}. White, purple. E. 

 Ind. 1/97- 



glaucifo'lia (milky-green-leaved). Purplish - 



June. Mexico. 1732. 



heteroph'/'lln (various-leaved). Pale purple- 



September. Cuba. 1817- 



jala'pa (jalap). Rose. August. Mexico. 184.1. 



paniculu'ta (panicled). Purple. July. E. In". 



1799- 



pentaphy'lla (five-leaved). White. Aug-J.n 



E. Ind. 1739. 



