S T A 



S T A 



cordinof to rirciimftances, in fine pnwder; oak-bark, or that 

 of the Peruvian kind, in powder, two or three ounces ; and 

 powdered crude opium, from a fcruple to about half a 

 drachm ; mixed and made up into a ball with a little honey 

 or treacle, and given to the horfe once or oftener in the day, 

 until the bloody ftaling difcharge goes off and wholly difap- 

 pears, which is afcertained by the animal Italinij in a free 

 and perfeft manner. Other fimilar forts of altrmgent iub- 

 Itances and barks may likewile be made ufe of with perhaps 

 equal benefit, where thefe cannot be had, as well as fome 

 reltringent tinfturee, fuch as thofe of the above sjumniy mat- 

 ter and feveral others. All thefe remedies fhould conftantly 

 be given in large quantities of fome kinds of niucilagmous 

 liquids, as the free ufe of fuch iubftances is found to be 

 highly beneficial in all cafes of this nature. 



After fuch complaints are wholly removed, the ftrength 

 of the animals may be reltored by the giving of fuch pow- 

 dery fubltances as are direfted below, m full quantities of 

 oatmeal or other forts of gruel, as there may be occafion. 

 The powder of the root of gentian, and that of Peruvian 

 bark, in the proportion of from one to two or more ounces ; 

 ginger in powder, one ounce or more ; and fometimes the 

 ruft, or the fait of fteel powdered, in the quantity of about 

 half an ounce of the former, and from one and a half to 

 two drachms of the latter. The horfes ftiould likewife 

 have a pretty free ufe of mafhes of different nourifhing 

 forts. 



There is a profufe fort of italing in horfes of the farm, 

 team, and other kinds, which fometimes conftitutes and be- 

 comes a difeafe. See Diabetes. 



STALK, among Botanijls, that part of a plant which 

 rifes immediately from the root, and which ufually fupports 

 the leaves, the flowers, and the fruit. 



The term Jlalk is ufed on all occafions ; but in fpeaking 

 of the grades, and gramineous plants, the word culm is 

 ufed in its place, to diftinguifli that peculiar kind of flalk 

 which IS general to all thefe plants, and is not found in any 

 others. 



The terms ufed in defcribingf the ftalks of plants are, a 

 Jimplc llalk, one which runs up undivided from the_ root to 

 the top. 



Naked Vi.d\}s., one that has no leaver, 



Fol'wfe Italk, one with leaves on it. 



Ramofe (talk, that which fends out branches. 



Ered llalk, that which rifcs ilraight up. 



Oblique ftalk, that which is flanting. 



Voluble ftalk, that which twills round other things. 



Flexuous ftalk, that which bends. 



Rcclinate ftalk, that which Hoops towards the ground. 



Procumbent ftalk, that which lies on the ground. 



Creeping, OT farmentous ftalk, that which enaits roots as it 

 runs along. 



If the ftalk be rounded in (hape, it is called round ; if it 

 make two angles, ancipital ; if three, Irigona' ; it four, 

 fcfuare ; if more, polygonal. 



If the ftalk be lightly ridged and furrowed on tlie fur- 

 face, it is faid to h*:J)riated ; if more deeply, canaliculate ; 

 if full of protuberances, y?airouj ; if lightly hairy, villofe ; 

 if more roughly, hi/pid. 



In the branched iiz\]^, if the branches rife ereft, it is cx- 

 prefFed hy a/cendant ; if they fpread, hy diffufe ; if they are 

 very large, it is called branchinled. 



If the ftalk divaricate, or, inllead of fending out branches, 

 it divide into them, it is called a compnfite ftalk. If thefe 

 divarications proceed by pairs, or if every branch be divided 

 only into two others, it is called diehotomous ; if it part into 

 two fcries of branches, it i« cxprcllcd by the term di/licliQus t 



if it part into a multitude of ramifications, it is called yu3. 

 divided. 



All thefe terms are ufed alfo in exprefling the different 

 ftates of the culm, which, having no articulations, is called 

 equal ; when fcaly, fquamofe. 



Stalk, in ylgriculture, the ilem or ftock part of any fort 

 of grain, grafs, or other kind of plant that is grown as a 

 field crop. 



The ftalks of many forts of field plants are much difpofed. 

 to be affefted with different kinds of vegetable dileales, as 

 thole of the mildew, the ruft, and feveral other forts, which 

 produce fpeckled, fpotted, freckled, or other appearance* 

 on them. 



The ftalks or ftems of many different field plants of the 

 cabbage, borecole, rape, and other kinds, are not unfre- 

 quently left ftanding as very iifi.ful and neceffary fpring feed 

 for ewes and lambs, as well as other forts of (heep-ftock, by 

 the fprouts or fmall leaves which they throw out at that 

 leafon in fuch an abundant manner. 



The cutting over the ftems or ftalks of fome forts of 

 plants is occafionally praftifcd in the view of increafing the 

 lize or quantity of their produce, as in the cafe of the po- 

 tatoe, and fome other fimilarly rooted kinds ; but from the 

 trials which have lately been made on the fubjeft, it would 

 feem that harm rather than good is moftly the confequence 

 of the praftice. 



The ftalks of graffes and fome other plants of that fort 

 may, in fome inftances, and in particular cafes, be cut over, 

 cropped, or fed down by animals, efpecially of the (heep 

 kind, with great benefit in rendering them more fine and 

 more fpreading, by which the herbage as well as the fward 

 of the land is much improved. 



There may likewife be other ways in which the manage- 

 ment of the ftalks in different forts of plants may probably 

 be beneficial in their cultivation, as by thinning, topping, and 

 ftripping oft' their leaves, &c. 



Stalk, in Gardening, the ftem, upright, or rifingf part 

 of any fort of culinary vegetable or other plant which is 

 raifed or cultivated in gardens or pleafure-grounds. The 

 ftalks of garden vegetables are, for the moft part, of either 

 the crifp, tender, flefhy eatable kinds, or of the more hard 

 and ligneous forts. The former are, in moft cafes, rendered 

 more fuitable and proper as food by being blanched, or 

 having their colouring matters difcharged from them in lome 

 way or other, as in celery, endive, fea-kalc, and lome others. 

 The latter, being commonly only for temporary or future 

 ufe and produce, rarely require any thing to be done to 

 them, except the cutting and clearing away of the irregular 

 or decayed parts towards the clofe of the iummer, or other 

 fcafon ; as they are of the annual, biennial, or perennial 

 kind. 



The ftalks of fome forts of garden plants occafionally 

 require to be ftopped in their growth, in order to render 

 them more produftive in fruit, ieod, or other matters, by 

 having their extreme parts twilled or cut oft, as is fometimes 

 praftiied with the cucumber and other fimilar plants, as well 

 as in the bean and other crops of that dcfcription. And 

 the hard folid ftalks of fome kinds of garden plants, after 

 they have been cut over, and their heads removed for ufe, 

 are ftill fuftered to ftand in their places, or to be taken up 

 and replanted in other fituatioiis, in the view of throwing 

 out or fending forth frcih crops of edible (hoots of the green 

 kind. See Sproi;ts, Ejculenl. 



The ftalks of all garden vegetables (hould, ii. i;ciural, be 



kept in as free and open a ftate of growth a - poffible, at 



when too clofe or too much crowded they never luccecd fo 



well, in whatever intention the plants from which they pro- 



4 U 2 cccd 



