Page:Willich, A. F. M. - The Domestic Encyclopædia (Vol. 4, 1802).djvu/152

130&#93; u^] ST A in inland situations, the Sea-Star- wort has been conjeftured to indi- cate the presence of subterraneous salt-springs. STARCH, or Amylum, is a pre- paration from wheat, obtained by steeping the flour of that grain in cold w ater, then straining it through a cloth, and suffering the farinace- ous pai titles to subside. In many places, however, it is manufactured in the following manner : Pure wheat is put into tubs of water, and exposed to the heat of the sun, to induce a proper degree ©f fermentation ; the water being changed twice every day, for six Or eight days, according to the warmth of the season. When pro- perly softened and fermented, it is poured into canvas bags, which are worked or beaten on a board, placed over an empty vessel, in order to cixtrad thf- mealy part. When such vessel is filled with the Vujuidjiour, t reddish fluid apj'.ears on the sur- face, which must be carefully skimmed, and pure water added ; when the whole ought to be briskly agitated, and allowed to subside. As the sediment increases, the wa- ter is gradually drained, and at length the starch is formed into cakeSj which are cut iu small pieces, and dried for use. Good staxch, when dry, is pul- verulent, tasteless, without odour, insoluble botli in cold water and ardent spirit : on the addition of txiiliug water, liow^ver, it forms Paste, or Pastry, of which the reader will find an act.ount. — It is one of the constituent parts in all faiealy or farinaceous seeds, fruits, roots, he. of plants j though some vegetables contain a much larger Sroportion of it than others. Thus, le Wake-Robin, and White Bryo- 1^^ afibjd more starch than pota« ST A toes J and the Salep-roots, espe- cially those of the Meadow-Oa- cHis, for the greatest part, consist of that valuable substance. Starch being the basis of AatV- pou'der, and also of extensive uti- lity for domestic purposes, various experiments have been instituted, with a view to ascertain such vege- tables as might be advantageously substituted for wheat. — As tlie reader will find a recapitulation of those useful plants which have been mentioned tliroughout this work, in the General Index of Re- ference, we shall, at present, only notice the method adopted by Mrs. GiBBS, for preparing starch from the roots of the Wake-Robin; for which the Society for the Encou- ragement of Arts, &o. in 1797, presented her with their gold me- dal. She observes, in her com- munication, that such roots are found in the Isle of Portland^ in thq common fields, whence they naay be dug out, cleaased, and pounded in a stone mortar with water. The whole is then strain- ed, and the starch settles at the bottom : a peck of these roots pro- duced, upon an average, about four pounds of starch, which was sold at lid. per pound. — See also Wake-kobin. Starch pays, on importation, 5. 15s, 2id. per cwt. j and is pro- hibited to be imported in package* of less than 224lbs. net weight. STARLING, the Commox, or Sturnus vulgaris, L. an useful bird, inhabiting various parts of Eng- land. It is about eight Inches in length, and weighs from 3 to 4 oiuices : the plumage is black, •spotted with blue, purple, or yel- low, though somttimes with white dots ; and the beak is yellow. Starlings breed in hollow trees, the