■76] S LA Next, the pelt is again plunged into the water ; and, after the ne- cessary stu(Uing, or striking, it is ready to be tanned, tawed, or dressed. — See also Tanning. SKIRRET, the Common, or Slum sisaritm, L. an exotic plant, which is trequently cultivated in British gardens, on account of its utility for culinary purposes. It is propagated from the seeds obtained in the second year, but more ad- vantageously by means of small roots or tibres. The skirret bears great resemblance to parsnep ; tho' tb6 former is so tender Lliat it will scarcely admit of being boiled ; for which reason it is frequently eaten a< fruit, J!i a raw state : when stewed, however, it forms an ex- cellent ingrediant in soups. The common skirret has an agreeable, aromatic flavour, and abounds with saccharine particles : heJice it has been conjeftured, that hugar might be advantageously ex- traded from the rooij and M, Margkaaff states, that he ob- tained one ounce and a half of pure sugar from half a pound of this ve- getable. — BoHMKR obsprves, that it may more profitably be distilled, and converted into brandy. — In a medicinal view, it possesses diure- tic properties, and is in a slight de- gree stimulant. Skikeet, the Broad and Nar- row-leaved. See Parsnep, the Water. • SLATE, a fossil, consisting of a compail stone, that may be split into thin plates. There are several varieties of this mineral, chiefly distinguished by their colour, which is in general grey, intermixed with blue, green, or black streaks j though some- times purplish, yellowish, brown, SLA bluish -black ; and occasionally streaked with a darker hue thaii tlie ground itself. Slate constitutes a part of many mountains : it is found in some counties of Biitain, and Ireland,' near the surface of the soil : the largest masses of it, however, ard dug out in the Island of Eusdale, one of the Hebrides, whence slate' is annually exported to England, the West Indies, &c. to a consi- derable amount. The chief purpose to which slates are applied, is that of covering houses ; for which it furnishes £t strong and elegant roof. As the usual method of slating has, from experience, not proved sufficiently durable, Mr. Richakd Elliott obtained a patent in March, l/Sl* for a mode of covering houses, &c. on a more safe and eligible plan than that generally followed. His prac- tice consists in cutting the slates in a rhomboidal form, so as to fold over each other. These are next laid ill lime or putty, and fastened to the raiters, on boards, by means of nails or screws, either of wood or iron. This patent is now ex- pired : and, as Mr. Elliott's me- thod promises to secure houses co- vered with this fossil more effedu- ally from the effeds of rain and moisture, than the cominon plan, we recommend the former to the attention of our readers ; referring such as may wish for a more dis- tin6l idea of his pradice, to the 12th vol. of the Re/jcrtory of Arts ; where it is fully described, and il- lustrated with an enjiavin^. S L AT E R S, MiLLF.PES, or WooD-Lousr,, Oniscns ascltus, L. an insett which is generally found in cellars, beneath stones, and in cold humid places. It is of an oval
