320 



HISTORY OF THE VEGETABLE KINGDOM. 



what those of ivy, but being longer pointed and 

 much softer. Tlie stalk is round and hollow ; 

 its general colour is green, but it sometimes has 

 a reddish tinge. It commonly grows to the 

 height of about thirty inches. At almost every 

 joint of the stalk, lateral branches shoot out, 

 which are terminated by purplish flowers, and 

 these are succeeded by small triangular-shaped 

 seeds, which are of a brownish-black colour on 

 the outside, and white within. This grain is 

 usually sown in May or June, and is of such ra- 

 pid growth, that it generally ripens its seeds 

 within about one hundred days from the time 

 of sowing. It wiU thrive in any soil, even in 

 those which contain little else than sand. The 

 largest increase is, however, obtained from dry 

 ground, which has been thoroughly ploughed 

 and pulverized ; and in such circumstances, as 

 much as fifty or sixty bushels have been reaped 

 from an acre, on wliich only one bushel of seed 

 lias been bestowed. 



This plant is more generally cultivated for the 

 sake of its green fodder, and then the seed is 

 strewn much thicker, as much as three or four 

 bushels being allotted to the acre. If the season 

 is forward, and the weather continues warm, 

 buck-wheat may be sown for this purpose in 

 April, and will bear cutting twice during the 

 summer ; but the slightest degree of frost will 

 destroy it entirely. When it is thus intended 

 to apply the plant as green meat, a sufficient 

 quantity should be cut one day for the consump- 

 tion of the next. The state most proper for cut- 

 ting is when the blossoms are making their ap- 

 pearance. 



All animals are fond of this food, and will 

 thrive upon it. When given to cows it causes 

 them to yield an abundance of excellent milk, 

 which makes good butter and cheese. The stalk 

 and leaves will continue green during the driest 

 weather, even when all the grasses in the mea- 

 dows are burnt up. The straw or haulm is 

 sometimes given in a dry state to cattle, but is 

 not then so useful as when green. 



Buck-wheat is also sometimes sown in order 

 that the plants may be ploughed into the ground, 

 and serve as manure in the process of bringing 

 lands into proper order for other crops. The 

 time most proper for this ploughing is when the 

 blossoms are full upon the plants, as they are 

 then in their most succulent state. The land is 

 then left at rest for some months, during which 

 time the vegetable matter of the buck- wheat be- 

 comes fermented and decomposed. The variety 

 kno\vn as Tartarian buck-wheat, polygonum tar- 

 taricum, being c^ piore luxuriant growtli than 

 the common sort, /fffipt/rum, has been prefer- 

 ably recommended for tliis object. 



Birds are exceedingly fond of the seeds, and 

 one of the principal uses made of them in this 

 country is to feed pheasants during the winter, 



in ?pots set apart for the preservation of that 

 species of game. Witli this object, the grain is 

 sometimes sown in these preserves, and left stand- 

 ing, to afford both cover and food to the birds ; 

 at otlier times the straw is tiiken unthreshed, and 

 left in heaps at intervals throughout the places 

 where the birds resort. Such an abundance of 

 their favourite food will not only prevent phea- 

 sants from rambling, but frequently allures others 

 from spots where an equally comfortable provi- 

 sion is not made. 



Horses are fond of the seeds, which are some- 

 times given to them in conjunction with oats ; 

 it is proper, however, in such case, to subject 

 the buck-wheat to the previous operation of 

 crushing. Pigs are often fattened upon buck- 

 wheat ; and it is said, that if this food be given 

 to them in great quantity at first, it will occa- 

 sion the animals to exhibit symptoms of intoxi- 

 cation, so that they run squeaking and tumbling 

 about in a grotesque manner. As they become 

 habituated to the use of the grain, such an effect 

 ceases. It is necessary to crush the seeds for 

 this purpose also. 



Buck-wheat is sometimes used by distillers, it 

 being capable of yielding a considerable quantity 

 of good spirit. This use is made of it to a great 

 extent at Dantzig, where an extensive manufac- 

 ture of cordial waters is continually carried on. 



The poor of some countries mix the meal of 

 buck-wheat with a small proportion of wheat- 

 flour, and make a kind of bread of the compound, 

 which is black and bitter, and deficient in a due 

 degree of nourishment. In Brabant it is not un- 

 usual for persons who derive a profit from keep- 

 ing bees to soyv this grain near to their dwell- 

 ings, they being of opinion that no plant is equal 

 to it for affording to those insects a proper sup- 

 ply of materials whence their sweet store is ela- 

 borated. 



CHAP. XXXIV. 



ROSACEiB THE APPLE, PEAR, QUINCE, PLUMB, 



PEACH, CHERRY, STRAWBERRY, RASPBERRY, &C. 



The natural family rosacese embraces a con- 

 siderable number of plants of the herbaceous 

 kind, shrubs, and trees. It takes its name from 

 the rose, wliich may be considered as the type of 

 the family. Besides this, the chief of ornamental 

 flowers, it comprehends other favourites of the 

 garden, as the potentillas, geums, &c. This 

 family also includes all the most important fruits 

 of the temperate regions. Thus, to the genera 

 pyrus, belong the apple and pear; to prumis, 

 the plumb and apricot ; to amygdalm, the peach, 

 nectarine, and almond; crinhotrya, the loquat; 

 mesphilm, the medlar; cydonia, the quince; 



