ROOT. 



It is occasionally neceflary that the tap-roots of feedling 

 plants, while they are in the nurfery, fhould be Shortened, with 

 the view of preventing their ftriking down too deep into a 

 bad fubfoil, as well as to force out lateral horizontal roots 

 in greater abundance nearer to the furface of the ground, 

 where the foil is good, that they may derive more full nourifh- 

 ment and fupport, and thereby thrive in a better and more 

 expeditious manner. 



The roots of annual and biennial plants ftand in need of 

 being renewed every year, or at the end of every two years, 

 by the fowing of their feeds, or the fetting of fome other 

 part of them : and the perennial roots are continued by the 

 parting, dividing, (lipping, cutting, and refetting of them 

 or their different parts, as well as by various other methods, 

 as may be feen fully defcribed under their different proper 

 heads. 



Roots, in Medicine. The principal roots ufed in the 

 practice of phyfic, are rhubarb, rhaponticum, farfaparilla, 

 ipecacuanha, jalap, zedoary, galangal, caffumenar, gentian, 

 turmeric, liquorice, madder, &c. See Rhubarb, Sarsa- 

 parilla, Ipecacuanha, &c. 



There are feveral ways of preparing roots for medicinal 

 ufe in the eaflern nations, which ftrongly alter them from 

 their original form and appearance. An in (lance we have of 

 this in the drug called falep, which is no other than the root 

 of an orchis thus prepared. 



Other roots they alfo prepare in the fame manner, or 

 fomething like it ; an inftance of which we have in fome of 

 the oriental ginfeng, which is clear and pellucid, as a refin, 

 and friable like one, retaining very little of the ilructure or 

 appearance of the root. Ksempfer gives the method by 

 which the people in the Eait do this, and it may be well 

 worth trying on fome of our own roots. 



The Chinefe, this author informs us, give their ginfeng 

 its colour and tranfparence in this manner. They mace- 

 rate the frefh root for three days in cold rice-water, then 

 expofe it in clofe vefTels to the vapour of the fame water ; 

 after which they carefully and leifurely dry it, and it becomes 

 hard and brittle, of a brownifh-red colour, and as tranfparent 

 as a refin. 



All the ginfeng of China is not of this fort ; and it has 

 been fuppofed by fome, that fuch as was fo had affumed 

 that appearance by age, as many of the more fucculent 

 roots, which have very fmall fibres, will become much lefs 

 opaque when perfectly dry than they were at fir ft ; but ex- 

 perience fhews that this is not the cife ; for many perfons 

 have kept the oriental ginfeng a great many years, but it has 

 never been known to aiiume that appearance. There is no 

 doubt, however, but that if the Wed Indian ginfeng were 

 treated in this manner, it would equal the prepared ginfeng 

 of the Eaft ; for the roots of fome of our umbelliferous plants, 

 particularly the fkirret, may be made clear and tranlparent 

 in this manner, by only boiling it in common water, and 

 afterwards drying it in the open air. Mem. Acad . Scienc. 

 Par. 1740. 



Roots, Flower. See Flower. 



Root of OJleocoUa, a word ufed to exprefs a fort of foft 

 and rotten matter, on which the olleocolla of Germany is 

 found in fandy grounds. 



The workmen feck after the ofteocolla by the dire&ion of 

 certain lumps of a white marley matter, which they find 

 lying on the lands ; under this they always find a parcel of 

 rotten vegetable matter, branching out from a main flem or 

 trunk, at ten or twelve feet deep up to th : furface ; this rot- 

 ten fubftar.ee they call the root of the olteocolla ; and they 

 obferve, that where the matter they feek after is not found 

 round it at the time of their digging, they need only mark 



5 



the place, and dig again a year afterwards, and they will 

 find it formed in a perfect manner. The olleocolla found 

 near Frankfort is all of this kind; and we find the holes 

 in the centre of all the pieces through which this root had 

 pafTed. It is fo tender, that it ufually moulders away on 

 the olleocolla being cxpofed to the air ; but fometimes they 

 wafh it out. Phil. Tranf. N° 39. 



It is not eafy to conceive what this is, unlefs the remains 

 of foffile branches of trees ; but even then it is as difficult 

 to account for the formation of the ofteocolla about them, 

 as there is none of it found concreted where they are not. 

 We have a fort of ofteocolla found with us in what we call 

 petrifying fprings ; but as this is done in the water, it is eafier 

 to conceive how it becomes fo pure, than how a foft and 

 pappy lubftance, found in the midft of a bed of fand, comes 

 not to have fome fand embodied in it. 



Root, Indian Arrow. See AilROSV-root. 



Root, China. See Smilax. 



Root, Falfe China, a fpecies of Senecio ; which fee. 



Root, Fever, a fpecies of Triofteum ; which fee. 



Root, Hollow, a fpecies of Adoxa ; which fee. 



Root, Rofe. See RosE-r««/. 



Root, Seminal. See SEMINAL. 



Root, Snake. See SsAKE-root. 



Root, Black, or Wild Snake, of America, a fpecies of 

 Aetna ; which fee. 



Root, Dr. IFitt's Rattle-fnake, a fpecies of Prenanthes ; 

 v, hich fee. 



Root, Senegaw Rattle-fnake, a fpecies of Polygala ; 

 which fee. 



Root, Sweet, a fpecies of Glycirrhiza ; which fee. 



Root of Scarcity, in Agriculture, the common name of a 

 plant of the tap-rooted flefhy kind, that has much refemblance 

 to the beet, and which is now cultivated to a very large 

 fize both in the root and top, as cattle food, where a proper 

 fort of feed is provided. It is a very hardy vegetable, is eafily 

 grown, and much rehfhed by horfes as well as neat cattle. 

 See Mangel Wurzel. 



Root-Crops, fuch forts of field crops as afford their pro- 

 duce in roots, fuch as potatoes, turnips, carrots, parfneps, 

 &c. Thefe forts of crops conltautly require to have the 

 ground peculiarly prepared for them. See thefe feveral 

 heads. 



Some of the crops require that the land be well pulve- 

 rized and prepared before they are put into it, and after 

 wards to have the mould well flirred and laid up about them 

 while they are growing. They fhould alfo, in many in- 

 flances, be at firft, or in a gradual manner, thinned, fet out, 

 and left at fuitable dill.mces for gaining their full and perfect 

 ftates of growth. Some of them ftand in need of being re- 

 gularly taken up out of the ground at the proper feafon and 

 itored up, as thepotatoe, carrot, parfnep, beet, &c. while 

 others may often remain in the (oil until they are confumed, 

 as the various forts of turnips, and fome others, not only 

 without fuflaining any great injury, but fometimes with 

 much benefit. The Swedifh turnip is, however, frequently 

 itored up with utility and convenience. When laid up they 

 require to be in a dry condition on the outfide, ami to be de- 

 poiited in dry fituations. Potatoes fhould always be kept 

 dry and fecured from froft, by means of draw or other fimilar 

 matters being laid round them. 



Root -Grafting. See Engrafting. 



Roo~t-Houfe, in Rural Economy, the place where roots 

 are depoiitcd for the more readily fupplying live-Hock of 

 different kinds with them. It is of much confequence to 

 the farmer to have this place as near as pofiible to the (tables, 

 feeding-houfes, and cattle-fheds. Thefe houfes are effentially 



neceflary 



