S P R 



S P R 



give them motion, by the endeavour it makes to unbend 

 ttfelf. 



In watchej it is a fine piece of well-beaten fteel, coiled up 

 in a cyhndrical cafe, or frame ; which, by ttretching itfelf 

 forth, puts the wheels, and the whole movement, in motion. 

 See Fusee, and Watch. 



The fpring of a watch is prepared by forming a very 

 thin plate of fteel into a double ring, bending it round with 

 wire, and putting it into a proper furnace, in order to 

 give it a fuitable degree of heat. When that is acquired, it 

 is taken out, and dropped into a kettle of oil, or warm 

 mutton fuet, in confequence of which procefs it poflelTes 

 a degree of hardnefs, very little inferior to that of glafs. 

 After this it is reduced or let down, if the fteel be of a 

 proper kind for the purpofe, to a fine violet or blue colour ; 

 in which ftate it becomes exceedingly elaftic, infomuch, that 

 to make it ftand bent, it muft be brought into a very acute 

 curve ; nor can it eafily be brought, by twifting horizon- 

 tally, to alter its form, without endangering its being bro- 

 ken to pieces. But as it afterwards requires to be planiftied 

 by the hammer, filed, and pohftied, it is again deprived in 

 a confiderable degree of its elafticity : and, therefore, when 

 it has received its laft polifli, it mutt again be blued upon 

 a brafs plate over a lamp, by which means its former elafti- 

 city is perfeftly reftored. Dr. Hooke, in his Microgra- 

 phia, fays, that this blue covering is owing to the fine ful- 

 phur, prefled through the pores by heat, and fixed by the 

 ambient air in a fine vitrified lamina upon the furface. See 

 Steel. 



The fpring of a lock, piftol, or the like, is a piece of 

 fteel violently bent, which beats back the bolt, or ftrikes 

 down the cock, when fet at liberty. 



SPRlUG-Arior, in a IVatch, that part in the middle of 

 the fpring-box, about which the fpring is wound or turned, 

 and to which it is hooked at one end. 



Spring-^ojc, the cylindrical cafe, or frame, that con- 

 tains within it the fpring of the watch. 

 SpRitiG- Compares. See Compasses. 

 SfumG-Rings, in Rural Economy, the large ring con- 

 trivances of the ftrong fpring kind, through which the reins 

 pafs in ftables, in order to prevent horfcsfrom being injured 

 by being entangled in them. They have a different form 

 from the rings which are commonly employed, and arc fixed 

 in an immoveable manner to the items, (hanks, or parts, 

 which fcrew into the wood and hold them faft. The 

 fprings in them are fo contrived, as that tlie reins of the 

 head-italls can be flipped into and out of them with great 

 eafe and facility. They are a very ufeful and fafe fort of 

 ring contrivance, for this purpofe, in many cafes, efpecially 

 where horfes are reftlefs, and much liable to the above kind 

 of accidents. The expence of them is not great, while 

 the fecurity which they may afford is confiderable. They 

 are equally necefiary and beneficial in farm Itablcs as thofe 

 of the faddle-horfe kind. See Stable Rmgt for Stalls. 



SpniNG of the jlir, or its elaftic torce. See Air and 

 Elasticity. 



Sprino, in a Ship, is a rope paft'ed out of one extremity 

 of a ftiip, and attached to a cable proceedmg from the 

 other, when (he lies at anchor. It it ufually performed to 

 bring the (hip's broadfide, or battery of cannon, to bear 

 upon fome diftant objeA : as another (hip, or a fortrefs on 

 the coaft, &c. 



Spring is likewife a rope reaching diagonally from the 

 ftern of a (hip to the head of another, which lies alongfide 

 or ahrcaft of her, at a (hort diftance. This is generally 

 performed to make one of the (hips (hcer off to a greater 

 diftance from the other ; or to make merchant-(hip« lie uni- 

 VoL. XXXIII. 



formly in the fame tier. Springs of this fort are, therefore, 

 occafionally applied from a (hip to a wharf or key, for the 

 fame purpofe. Falconer. 



Spring a Leak, To. See Leak. 

 Spring the Luff, To. See Loof. 

 Spring a Majl. See Mast. 



Spring, To, in Military Language, is to give vent to any 

 combuftible matter upon which gunpowder principally afts 

 by the power of explofion. Hence the phrafe to fpring 

 globes of compreffion, &c. wh'ch are frequently uled for 

 the fame purpofes with (Icy-rockets, &c. to ferve as fig- 

 nals when any fudden attack is to be made. 



Spring, To, is alfo to ilep forward with a certain de- 

 gree of elafticity. 



Spring the Firelock, To, is to bring it brilkly up to any 

 ordered pofitioii, e. g. in the recover. 



Spring Up, a word of command occxfionally ufed, and 

 fignifymg the fame as double up ; fometimes ulcd fingly, as 

 fpring ! particularly to light infantry men. 



Spring, Cear. The cear is a piece of hardened iron or 

 fteel in a guii-lock, which moves on a pivot, and the point 

 of which is received in a notch cut in the tumbler, and the 

 other end is afted upon by the trigger. The cear fpring is 

 a fmall fpring, which throws the cear into tlie faid notch, 

 when the piece is at half cock or full cock. 



Spring, Feather, the fpring of a gun-lock beneath the 

 foot of the hammer, called likewife hainmer-fpring. 



Spring, Main, the fpring of a gun-lock, which operates 

 on the tumbler, and gives force to the cock. 



Spring, Ver, in Cofmography, denotes one of the feafons 

 of the year ; commencing, in the northern part< of the world, 

 on the day the fun enters the firft degree of Aries, which is 

 about the twenty-firft day of March, and ending when the 

 fun leaves Gemini. 



Or, more ftriftly and generally, the fpring begins on the 

 day when the diftance of tlie fun's meridian altitude from the 

 zenith, being on the increafing hand, is at a medium bet v/ en 

 the greatelt and leaft. The end of the fpring coincides with 

 the beginning of fummer. 



Spring is the feafon in which plants vegetate and grow 

 with the moft force and luxuriance. Late fprings are, how- 

 ever, in general, the moft beneficial to the farmer, and occa- 

 fionally to the gardener. 



In fuch fprings as are late in their appearance, there is, 

 for the moft part, lefs danger in the climate of this country 

 of the crops of different kinds fiiffering from the checks and 

 injuries which they may receive in them., than in thr>fe which 

 are early, as the changes in them arc moftly much lefs fre- 

 quent, and at the fame time mucli left, fevcre. 



Fruit-trees of various kinds are often greatly injured in 

 the formation and piodudion of their fruit iiy earl.' Ipriags. 

 This is particularly the cafe with the almond, the apple, 

 the plum, and the cherry-tree, as well as with the goofe- 

 berry-bu(h, and fome others. Tlie peach, the nectarine, 

 and fome other fine fruited trees, are alfo fometimes much 

 injured in their fruiting by early fpring", as where tliey are 

 planted again ft walls or palings, in the open ground m ex- 

 pofed fituations. 



Gardcn-cropci of m.nny different kinds not unfroqiicntly 

 fuffer greatly from enrly fprings ; whole crops of particular 

 forts beine, in fome iiiftances, nearly dcftroyed, as ie not 

 fcldom the cafe, in fuch feafons, in the firft fown onion, pea, 

 and fcveral other kinds of culinary crops. 



Spring Crops, in Agriculture, fuch as are put into the 



ground in the fpring lealon of the year, as oats, barley, lome 



forts of wheat, and different other crops. Sec tlicic heads. 



Spring Food, that fori of food, whether of the turnip, 



4 L rye, 



