A Catechism of Familiar Things;: Their History, and the Events Which Led to Their Discovery.; With a Short Explanation of Some of the Principal Natural Phenomena. For the Use of Schools and Families. Enlarged and Revised Edition.Anonymous
Science
A Catechism of Familiar Things;: Their History, and the Events Which Led to Their Discovery.; With a Short Explanation of Some of the Principal Natural Phenomena. For the Use of Schools and Families. Enlarged and Revised Edition.
Anonymous
Science -- Popular works
A sort of linen cloth, woven in flowers, and other figures; it is said
to have received its name from d'Iper, now Ypres, a town of Belgium,
situated on a river of the same name, where it was first made.
What is Holland?
A fine, close, even, linen cloth, used for sheets, &c. It obtained its
name from being principally made in Holland.
What is Canvas?
A hempen cloth, so loosely woven as to leave interstices between the
threads, in little squares. It is used for working in patterns upon it
with wools, &c.; by painters for a ground work on which they draw
their pictures; for tents, sails, and many other purposes. There are
several sorts, varying in the fineness of their texture.
What is Damask?
A sort of silken stuff, having some parts raised on its surface to
represent flowers or figures. It took its name from Damascus, in
Syria, whence it was first brought.
Is there not another sort of Damask?
Yes, made from linen; and so called because its large flowers resemble
those of damask roses. It was first made in Flanders, and is used for
table linen, &c.
What is Flannel?
A slight, loose, woollen stuff, used for warm clothing; it was
originally made in Wales, where it still continues to be manufactured
in great perfection.
CHAPTER IV.
COCOA, TODDY, CHERRIES, BARK, CORK, COCHINEAL, CLOVES, CINNAMON,
AND CASSIA.
Of what form is the tree which bears those large nuts, called Cocoa
nuts?
It is tall and straight, without branches, and generally about thirty
or forty feet high; at the top are twelve leaves, ten feet long, and
half a foot broad; above the leaves, grows a large excrescence in the
form of a cabbage, excellent to eat, but taking it off kills the tree.
The cocoa is a species of Palm.
Is not the Indian liquor called Toddy, produced from the Cocoa Tree?
Yes, between the leaves and the top arise several shoots about the
thickness of a man's arm, which, when cut, distil a white, sweet,
and agreeable liquor; while this liquor exudes, the tree yields no
fruit; but when the shoots are allowed to grow, it puts out a large
cluster or branch, on which the cocoa nuts hang, to the number of ten
or twelve.
_Distil_, to let fall in drops.
_Exude_, to force or throw out.
[Illustration: THE CATHEDRAL OF MILAN, ITALY.]
How often does this tree produce nuts?
Three times a year, the nuts being about the size of a man's head, and
of an oval form.
Of what countries is it a native?
Of Asia, the Indies, Africa, Arabia, the Islands of the Southern
Pacific, and the hottest parts of America.
What are the uses of this Tree?
The leaves of the tree are made into baskets; they are also used for
thatching houses: the fibrous bark of the nut, and the trunk of the
tree, are made into cordage, sails, and cloth; the shell, into
drinking bowls and cups; the kernel affords a wholesome food, and the
milk contained in the shell, a cooling liquor.
From what country was the Cherry Tree first brought?
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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