«6] CAR plants comprising nine species, of which the vulgaris, or WildCarline Thistle, only is indigenous, and ge- nerally indicates a barren soil. The other species are propagated from seeds, which should be sown in a bed of fresh undunged earth, but not be transplanted, as they will not bear this operation. When the plants appear above ground, they must be carefully weeded, and af- terwards thinned, being left about a foot apart. The Carline blows generally in the second year, but, if the season be wet, it seldom pro- duces good seeds, and often decays soon after blowing. Its flowers have the remarkable property of expanding in dry, and closing in moist weather ; from which cir- cumstance they are often consider- ed as natural hygrometers. In Ger- many, the acaulis, a species of this genus, forms an article of food, and the roots, when dressed like arti- chokes, or made into salads, are highly esteemed. In Switzerland, this plant is also cultivated on ac- count of its culinary utility ; besides which it furnishes an agreeable food to goats, as they eat it eagerly, but it is refused by cows and other animals. The Carline is known principally from its roots, as they are some- times used in hysterical cases, for which they are said tobe an excellent remedy. They have a strong smell, a sub-acrid, bitterish, aromatic taste, and were formerly imported from the more southern parts of Europe. CARMINE, a powder, of a ery beautiful red colour, partaking of the shades of scarlet and purple. It is used by painters in miniature; but, on account of its high price, they are often induced to substitute lake. The manner of producing It is preserved a secret by colour- CAR makers ; and, though many receipt; have been published, none has evel been found lo answer the purpose. The folloAving process, however, we shall communicate on the au- thority of the Gentleman's Maga- zine for 1/53, in which it is asserted that this costly article maybe/nade, even in greater perfection than that produced by the French artists : Take four or five gallons of pure water, and dissolve in it a sufficient quantity of pot-ash to make a strong lye. After having filtered the so- lution, put it in a brass pot, and boil in it one pound of the clean shreds of scarlet cloth dyed ingrain, till they have totally lost their co- lour; then squeeze the shreds, and pass all the lye through a flannel bag. Dissolve two pounds of alum in a proper quantity of water, and add this solution to the lye ; stir them well together, and the whole will become rather thick ; it is then to be repassed through the flannel bag, and the liquor will run out clear; but if it be at all tinged, it is again to be boiled, with the addi- tion of a small quantity of dissolved alum, passed through the bag a third time, and all the carmine will be left behind. Fresh water is then to be poured repeatedly into the bag, till all the alum is washed away ; when the colour must be dried, so as to prevent any dust from settling on it, and may .then be kept for use, being previously re- duced to an impalpable powder in a glass or marble. If, however, in the boiling, so much water evapo-. rate, as to require an addition, care must be taken to add only boiling water to supply the deficiency. Carn ati o n . See Clov e-Pikk. CARNIVOROUS animals are those which seek for, and feed on, flesh. It is a question among phi- losophers,
