QUA 



by fubtrafting any real quantity out of nothing ; e. gr. 

 o _ 2 = — 3 ) s"*^ ° — a ~ — a. 



For an illuttration. Suppofe when you are quite defti- 

 tute of money, fomebody gives you a hundred pieces ; you 

 have then a hundred pieces more than nothing ; which pieces 

 conftitute a pofitive quantity. 



On the contrary, fuppofe you have no money, yet owe a 

 hundred pieces ; you have then a hundred pieces Icfs than 

 nothing ; for you mull pay a hundred pieces to liave jult 

 notiiing. This debt is a negative quantity. 



Thus in local motion, progrefs may be called a pofitive 

 quantity, and regrefs a negative one ; becaufe the firlt in- 

 creafes, and the fecond dimiaifhes the fpace pafied over. 



And in geometry, if a line drawn towards any part be 

 accounted an affirmative quantity, another the contrary way 

 will be a negative one. 



Privative or negative quantities, therefore, are equally 

 real with pofitive quantities, but oppofite to each other, fo 

 as to take away each otiier's effeft, in any operation, when 

 they are equal as to quantity. Thus 3 — 3 = 0, and 



QUA 



depends, in a material degree, upon a number of diflererrt: 

 circumftantes, fuch as thofe of tlie fituation, the nature and 

 quality of the foil, the period of fowing, the ftate of the 

 f-'afon, the manner of putting them into the earth, and fe- 

 veral others. 



A great deal more feed, fets, and plants, are requifite 

 in late fituations or backward feafons, heavy, wet, ftiff 

 lands, and late fowings ; than where they are more forward, 

 more light and dry, and put in early. And far lefs quan- 

 tities made ufe of in the drill and dibble methods of put- 

 ting in the crops, than in that of the broadcaft, or by the 

 hand. 



In moil forls of white, or grain crops, the quantities are 

 from two to live bufhels^i-r acre, being more in barley and 

 oats, than in thofe of the other kinds, as from three to five 

 in general. 



In thofe of the pulfe kinds, ufually from fix or feven 

 pecks, to two, three and a half, and four bufliels, being 

 commonly the latter, or more, in fome forts of beans. 



In thofe of the fmall feed defcription, as the buck-wheat 



a = o. 



However, though + a, and — a, arc equal as and turnip forts, from one to two and three pounds ; but in 



to quantity, we do not fuppofe in algebra, that + a 

 becaufe to infer equality in tliis fcicnec, they muft not only 

 be equal as to quantity, but of the fame quality, that in 

 every operation the one may have the fame effeft as the 

 other. A negative quantity is faid to be lefs than nothing, 

 becaufe it is oppofite to the pofitive, and diminiflies it when 

 joined to it ; whereas the addition of o has no efFecl. But 

 a negative is to bo confidered no lefs as a real quantity than 

 a pofilive. Quantities that have no fign prefixed to them 

 are underflood to be pofitive. See Negative Sign. 



Quantities, commenfurabh, compound, exponential, hi-te- 



the cabbage kind, only from fix ounces to half a pound, 

 and a quarter or half a peck. 



In the tap-rooted crops, as the carrot, parfnip, manglc- 

 wurzel, &c. from two to five pounds, and fometimes fix. 

 In lettuce crops, in the field, from three to four pounds the 

 acre. 



In different forts of plantation crops, as thofe of hemp, 

 flax, woad, weld, teafel, iic. from two to three up to five 

 or fix bufliels, in the three firll ; but only from two to four 

 quarts, and from one to two pecks, in the two laft. 



The fcls in the hop, madder, liquorice, and lavender kinds. 



rogeneous, Uhe, rational, fimpk, tranjcendental, and variable.- are from fix to feven hundred, and a thoufand or more. 



See the adjeiflives. 



Quantities, /Iddition of. l. If the quantities denoted 

 by the fame letter be affefted with the fame fign, the num- 

 bers prefixed to them are added as in common arithmetic. 



. 2. If they be affefted with different figns, the addition is 

 changed into fubtraftion ; and to the remainder is prefixed 

 the fign of the greater. 



3. Quantities denoted by different letters, are added by 

 means of the fign -f- ; as in the following example : 



Sd-g a- b 



^d-^g t 



^a + 2 b — 2 c — 

 ^a — 2b + 6c Jr 



b + . 



See Addition. 



Quantities, SiibiraHion of. See Subtraction. 



Quantities, Mnlliplication and Divifton of. See Mul- 

 tiplication, and D. VISION'. 



Quantities, Combination of. See Combination. 



1. If a pofitive quantity be multiplied or divided by an- 

 other pofitive quantity, the refult is alfo a pofitive quantity. 



2. If a negative quantity be muhiplied or divided by a 

 pofitive, the refult is a negative. 



3. If a negative quantity be multiplied or divided by an- 

 other negative, the refult is a pofitive. 



4. If a pofitive quantity be multiplied or divided by a ne- 

 gative, the refult is a negative quantity. See Multiplra- 

 TlON, in yllgebra. 



Quantity of a Degree. See Degree. 

 ■ Quantity of an Ec'tipf. See Eclipse. 



Quantities of Seed, Sets, and Plants, in Agriculture, 

 the proportions of each, which are neceflary for raifin;r 

 good crops of the difTennt kinds. The afcertaining of the 

 moll ufeful and beneficial quantities, in the feveral cafes, 



in the firll, and two lail ; but in the madder from fifteen 

 to twenty thoufand per acre. In the cabbage fort, from 

 eight hundred to a thoufand and more plants or fets to the 

 acre. And in the potatoe the quantity of fets vary from 

 eight to twenty or more bufhels to the acre, according to 

 the foil and manner of their being put into the ground. 



The quantities of natural grafs feeds which are generally 

 employed upon the acre, are from two to four bufhels and 

 upwards. And thofe of the artificial grafs kinds, in the 

 clovers from ten to eighteen pounds ; in faintfoin from three 

 to four bufhels ; in lucern from fixteen to eighteen pounds ; 

 tares from two to three bufhels ; trefoil, three pottles of 

 cleaned feed, or two bufhels of the uncleaned fort. And 

 in chicory from eight to twelve pounds. See Seed, Set, 

 Plant, and Sowing. 



The fubjeil is more fully explained in fpeaking of the 

 culture of the different forti of crops, and the moll fuitable 

 quantities under different circumflances put down. 



Quantity, in Grammar, denotes the meafure and 

 magnitude of the fyllables ; or that which determines them 

 to be called long, or fhort ; or, it is the meafure of time 

 requifite for the diltinft pronunciation of a fyllable. 



This quantity is the objeft of profody ; and it is the re- 

 gard to this that dittinguifhes verfe from profe. 



The economy and arrangement of the quantities, i. e. the 

 diflribution of long and fhort fyllables, make what we call 

 the number. 



The quantities are ufed to be diflinguifhed among gram- 

 marians by the charafters fhort and long. 



The proportion between the long and fhort fyllablf s may 

 be generally fixed the fame as that between the crotchet and 

 quaver in mufic ; viz. as two to one. See Time. 



Syllables are long or fhort, either by their nature, or by 



accident j that is, on account of the place where they are 



7 put 



