XANTHO'XYLUM.. 313 XANTHO'XYLUM. 



ie called worm-grass, from its efficacy 

 as a medicine for destroying worms. 

 There is another species, a native of 

 Jamaica, which has no beauty to re- 

 commend it. 



Worms. — The common earth- 

 worm (Lumbricus terrestris) is a 

 most destructive creature in flower- 

 pots. It has been ascertained that 

 worms swallow earthy matter, and 

 that, after having deprived it of its 

 nourishing properties, they eject the 

 remainder in the form of what aie 

 called worm casts, and which instinct 

 teaches them to throw out of their 

 burrows, to the surface, that they may 

 not be in danger of swallowing it 

 again. To find fresh earth, the worm 

 is continually incited to penetrate the 

 ground in different directions ; while, 

 after each repast, it is induced to re- 

 tuun to the surface to eject its cast ; 

 and thus, ground inhabited by worms 

 is sure to be thoroughly perforated 

 and pulverised. In a field, this has a 

 good effect, as it lightens the soil, and 

 renders it pervious to the air and rain ; 

 but in a pot, every passage of the 

 worm tears asunder the roots of the 

 plant, which are pressed close together 

 from the smallness of the space in 

 which they are confined, and thus 

 it does a serious injury. The com- 

 mon earth-worm moves by bristles, 

 with which the rings of its body are 

 furnished, and which enable it to 

 move either backwards or forwards at 

 pleasure ; and it emits a slimy sub- 



stance which facilitates its passage 

 through the earth ; this slimy matter 

 adheres to leaves and other substances, 

 which the worm drags after it along the 

 surface of the ground, but which, as it 

 cannot take them through its passages, 

 they being only large enough to admit 

 its own body, it leaves at the mouth 

 of the hole where it disappears. When 

 a worm is cut in two, it is generally 

 believed that both parts will become 

 perfect worms ; but, in fact, only the 

 part which contains the head possesses 

 the power of throwing out a new tail ; 

 and the part containing the tail can- 

 not form a new head. Worms are 

 produced from eggs ; and they are 

 always most abundant in rich humid 

 soil. When the casts are seen on the 

 surface of earth in a pot, no time 

 should be lost in turning out the earth 

 on the hand, and picking out the 

 worms. The roots torn asunder should 

 then be thrown away, and the plant 

 repotted in fresh earth. 



Wormwood. — See Artemisia. 



Woundwort — Anthyllis Vulne- 

 ria. — A British plant, only found 

 in chalky soils. 



Wrack Grass. — See Zostera. 



Wrightia — Apocynece — Hot- 

 shrub trees, natives of the East Indies, 

 which were formerly considered to 

 belong to the genus Nerium. One 

 of the species W. coccinea has splen- 

 did flowers; it should be grown in sand 

 and peat. The other kinds have 

 white flowers. 



X. 



Xanthorhiza — Ranunculaceee — 

 Yellow root. An American shrub, 

 with very neat dark purple flowers 

 which are produced early in spring, 

 and handsome leaves. It will grow 

 in any common garden soil, and it is 

 increased by suckers from the roots. 



Xantho'xylum — RutacecB, or 

 Terebinthacece — The toothache 



tree. Trees and shrubs, most of 

 which require a stove in England, and 

 should be grown in a sandy loam. 

 X. fraxineum, the prickly ash, is an 

 American shrub, the bark of which is 

 aromatic, and is considered very effi- 

 cacious in rheumatism. It is hardy 

 in British gardens, and will grow in 

 any soil. X. nitidum, which has 



