Page:Willich, A. F. M. - The Domestic Encyclopædia (Vol. 4, 1802).djvu/45

SAX SC A reddish-brown ; which may agahi be rendered of a golden tint, by the addition of pure water. On the whole, PoRNER observes, thatalum and gypsum appear to be best cal- culated for extracting a fine yellow colour from this plant ; which the Germans industriously cultivate. — Goats eat this species, but horses do not relish it ; and it is totally re- fused by sheep, hogs, and cows. 2. The arvensis, Corx S.w- woRT, or Way-thistle, thrives in corn-fields and on road-sides : it flowers in the month of July ; and ts often a very troublesome weed. — When burnt, the ashes of this plant yield a very pure vegetable alkali, or pot-ash; on which ac- count it deserves to be propagated ill the vicinity of glass-houses and soap manufaftorics. —Neither cows, ■ horses, nor swine eat this vegeta- ble; but it is relished by goats : its young and tender tops are occa- fiionally devoured by horses. — While young, the Way-thistle is eagerly consumed by sherp : when bruised, and mixed with bran, this weed atfords excellent food for every species of cattle. Its seeds are enveloped in large downy crowns j which, according to Beghstein,' may be advantage- ously combined with wool, and thus converted into blankets and coarse cloth : nor are they less useful for stuffing pillows, bolsters, and mattresses. SAXIFRAGE, the Common, or White, So;iiJraga granuUUa, L. an indigenous plant, growing on dry meadows and pastures, where it flowers in the month of April or May. Its perennial root consists of several small bulbs, which are externally of a reddish colour, and JVojn which arise long hairy foot- stalks, that are furnished with downy, kidney-shnped leaves.— The stems are thick, hairy towards the bottom, somewhat branched, and from 12 to 24 inches in height, having a kv small leaves, which sit closely to the stalk. The flowers grow in small clusters, and are furnished with five white petals, that inclose ten stamina and two styles ; the seeds are very nume- rous, small, and black. According to Linnaeus, this plant possesses an acrid, pungent taste, which, however, is not con- firmed by the accounts of later bo- tanists : on the contrary, thegrains, or tubercles forming the root, and also the leaves, are equally devoid of any sensille quality. The Common White Saxifrage was formerly in great request, for its supposed eflicacy in curing ne- phritic and gravelly complaints : at present, it is totally disregarded ; and we should neither have given a coloured engraving, nor described the specific chara6tersof this plant, if it were not uniformly discovered in soils, beneath which a bed of Gravel will be found, at no con- siderable depth. Hence it afford* a certain guide, by which survey- ors and landed proprietors may be direSed in digging for that useful fossil, especially in places where other stones cannot be easily pro- cured, for repairing public roads. Saxifr AG E, the Common, Great, and Dwarf Burnet. Se£ An-isk. SCAB, or Shab, a disorder pe- culiar to sheep : it is attended with an intense itching and scabby erup- tions on the skin, occasioned by aij impure state of the blood ; and be- ing most prevalent in wet land, or during rainy seasons. As this dis- ease is generally believed to be in- te<iUous,