Page:Willich, A. F. M. - The Domestic Encyclopædia (Vol. 4, 1802).djvu/56

36&#93; 3^] SC Y other antiscorbutics. — It may sho be used as a salad. — Cows eat this plant, but it is refused by horses, jgoats, and sheep. 3. ■ The Anglica, English ScuBVY-GRAss, or Spoonwokt, grows on sea-shores, in muddy soils, or salt-marshes, and flowers in the month of May. — ^'ITris spe- cies possesses similar properties with the preceding, but in an in- ferior de^ee. • 4. The Ccronopus, Common- WoET-CKEss, or Swine's-cukss, thrives in corn-fields, on rubbish, and road -sides ; blows from June till August.— It is a palatable salad- herb, on which account the Ger- mans cultivate it in gardens. These different species of scorvy- gra.ss may be propagated by seeds, which are to be sown in July, in a moist soil } because, if committed fo the ground in the spring, they seldom prosper :— when the young Jplants appear, they should be thinned, so as to leave them at the distance of about six mcbes apart. Those of a proper size may then be transplanted ; and, in the Succeeding spring, they will be fit for use : the remaining plants may ht left for seed, which will attain to maturity in the month of June. Scurvy-grass, the Scottish. See Bindweed, the Sea. SCYTHE, or Sithe, an imple- ment of husbandry employed for the purpose of cutting grass, and also for the mowing of conr. Before we attempt a description of the latest improvements on this rural instrament, we shall briefly observe, that the well - known Hainaulf, or French Scythe, for reaping wheat, has of late years met with many advocates in Bri- tain. It consists, according to the description given by Dr. Temple- SC Y Mas, of a short blade, being abont one- third of the length of those com- monly used in England ; with a wooden handletobeheldin the right hand, having a bend and a broad rounded piece at the upper end, for the supjxirt of the arm. Farther, an iron book is fixed to a staff, four feet in length, made of oak or ash, to be v>sed with the left hand, with a mortise ne^r the end, for the conveniency of the husbandman's carrying the scj-the on his shoulder. On the Iwndle of the scythe, and staff of the hook, at about half a yard from the bottom, are placed leather loops for the fi^ngers, to keep the two grasps at proper dis- tances from the ground. Having already stated the dis- advantages, whicii cannot be avoid- ed In the use of skkles for cutting corn, under ihe head of REAriNG f and likewise pointed out the supe- rior utility of s€y Aes, in the article Mowing, we shall now give a de- scription of fwo instruments, which are eminently calculated for both purposes. These scythes were first introduced to public notice, by the Patriotic Society of Milan, in one of the earlier volumes of their Transa6tions. Convinced of the inconveniencies arising from the use of the common instra- men-ts, they procured a model of a Silesia7i Scythe, with which tho corn in that eouniry is uniformly mown. Having caused a similar implement to be constru6ted, it M'as accordingly tried ; and, not- withstanding Its imperfect manu- fafture, as well as this circum- stance, that the labourer had never used a scythe on such principle, it was fully proved, that nearly half the usual time was saved, and the fatigue or labour, was considerably lessened. Farther, the corn was thus