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of thirteen years, form an actual hedge of fruit. The intermediatespaces may be filled with hops, which should be removed, accord-ingly as the tree's advance in growth. In plate CXXXIII. fig. 1,we have given (he plan of an orchard with the sections of the rowsof trees on it. It is 19 rods in length according to the horizontalrows and 17 in breadth, containing about two acres of ground, inwhich the trees are arranged in symmetrical order, forming anirregtdar square, which will he found most convenient and agree-able to the laws of vegetation. Thus the eye wherever it turns,not only perceives a'straight line, and uniform groves, hut theplan itself, is likewise the most consistent; because each tree isplanted at the greatest distance from the other; and is in this man-ner Jess cumbersome to its neighbour, than it would be in a rec-tangular square. Hence the proper and most profitable dispositionwill be that of allowing three rods interval between standards, inthe horizontal rows from east to west; anrl two and a half rods in(lie perpendicular lines from south to north. This space, however,would, after some time, become too narrow; one tree would im-pede the growth of another; and by obstructing the air as wellas the rays of the sun prevent the ripening of the fruit; if the treeswere indiscriminately planted in (lie spots which are marked onthe plan. To obviate such inconvenience, the trees should he sochosen and arranged that one of a vigorous growth, with aspread-ing crown or top, should stand next to another that expands witliless luxuriance, and lias fewer or lower brandies. This arrange-ment may be the more easily accomplished, as every zealousfriend of horticulture will'naturally wish to possess in his collection,at least one or a few trees of every valuable kind.

ORCHESTICS, in antiquity, a class of Gymnastic exercises;comprehending, 1. Dancing: 2. Cubistice, or the art of 'rumb-ling: and 3. Sphzeristice, or Tennis , including all the exerciseswith Pilse or halls.

ORCHESTON St. Mary’s, a town of Wilts , on Salisburyplain, about nine miles from Salisbury.

ORCHESTRA, in the Grecian theatres, was that part of theproscenium or stage w here the chorus used to dance. In the mid-dle of it was placed the Aoyuov or pulpit. The orchestra was semi-circular, and surrounded with seats. In the Roman theatres itmade no part of the scena, but answered pretty nearly to the pitin our playhouses.

ORCHIES, a town of France , in department of the N. andlate province of Frenclt Flanders; nine miles S. W. ofTournay,and 14 S. S. E. of Lille . Lon. 3. 35. E. Lat. 50. 28. N.

ORCIliLLA, or I10RCI11LLA, a cluster of islands, in theCaribbean Sea , 80 miles N. of Terra Firma. Lon. 65. 20. W.Lat. 12. 0. N.

ORCHIS, Fool-stones, or Goats-stones, a genus of thediandria order, and gynandria class of plants ; natural order, Or-chida?. Nectary a horn or pur behind the flower. There are 50species of this genus, which exceedingly’ resembles the orphrys.The most remarkable species are,

' M. Mascula, or male Fool-stones, with a root composed oftwo bulbs, crowned with oblong, broad, spotted leaves; uprightstalks, a foot high, with one or two narrow amplexicaule leaves,and terminated by a long spike of reddish-purple ilowers havingthe petals reilexed backward. The ilowers of this species possessa very agreeable odour.

M. M orio, or Female-orchis, has a few amplexicaule leaves;and terminated by a short loose spike of ilowers, having conniventpetals, a quadrihd crenate lip to the nectariuin, and an obtusehorn.

M. Militaris, or Man-orchis, has erect flower-stalks, eightor ten inches high, terminated bv a loose spike ot ash-coloured andreddish flowers, having continent petals; a quinquefid, rough,spotted lip to the nectariuin, and an obtuse horn. The structureof the Ilowers exhibits the figure of a naked man; and is often otdifferent colours in the same (lower, as ash-colour, red, brown, and• lark-stripped. All the orchises are very hardy perennials, withbulbous tleshy roots. 'Flic flowers appear in May, June, andJuly, hut principally in June: their mode of flowering is univer-sally in spikes, many ilowers in each spike ; and each flower iscomposed of live petals in two series, and a nectariuin. The seasonfor removing them is in summer, after they have done flowering,when their loaves and stalks decay: plant them three inches deep,1 and let them remain undisturbed several years; for the less they are

removed the stronger they will flower. This plant flourishes invarious parts of Europe and Asia , and grows in our country spon-taneously, and in great abundance. It is assiduously cultivated inthe E.; and the root of it forms a considerable part of the diet ofthe inhabitants of Turkey, Persia, and Syria . From it is made thealimentary powder called Salop; which, prepared from foreignroots, is sold at 5x. or 6.s. per lb. though it might he furnished byourselves at the sixth part of that price, if we would cultivate thisplant. The orchis mascula is the most valued for this purpose.A dry and not very fertile soil is best adapted treits growth. Theproperest time for gathering the roots, is when the seed is formed,and the stalk is ready to fall; because the new bulb, of which thesalep is made, is then arrived at its full maturity, and may he dis-tinguished from'the old one, by a white bud rising from the top ofit, which is the germ of the orchis of the succeeding year. Theculture of the orchis is an object highly deserving of encourage-ment. And as the root, if introduced into common use, wouldfurnish a cheap, wholesome, and most nutritious article of diet, itwould be sufficientlv profitable to the. farmer.

ORCIIOMENC)S, or ORCLI()M ENUS, three ancient cities:

1. in Arcadia, so named from a son of Lycaon : (Pans. ix. 37.) 2.in Boeotia, W. of Lake Copais , called also Minyeia, 3. and 4. atown and river of Thessaly. Strabo. 5,6.

OJRICUS, or PLUTO, god of the infernal regions, so calledfrom a tomh or sepulchre, or from mm; an oath by the riverStyx. The ancients gave this name also to all the divinities ofthe infernal regions, even to Cerberus. This deity has also beenconfounded with Charan: he had a temple at Rome .

Orcus, a river of Thessaly, which took its rise from themarshes of the Styx, and the waters of which were so tliick thatthey floated like oil upon the surface of the river Peneus, intowhich they discharged themselves. 'Phis river probably suggestedto the poets the idea of the infernal abodes which they denominatedOrcus.

ORDEAL, [ordal, Sax. ordalium , low Lat.] an ancient formof trial. See Trial. It was an appeal to the immediate interpo-sition of divine power, and was peculiarly distinguished by the ap-pellation of judicium Dei; and sometimes vulgaris purgatio, todistinguish it from the cannonical purgation, which was by theoath of the party. That the purgation of ordeal, of some one kindor other, is very ancient, admits not of a doubt; and that it wasvery universal in the limes of superstitious barbarity, is equally cer-tain. It seems even to have been known by the ancient Greeks.And Grotius gives us many instances of water odeal, in Bithvnia,Sardinia , and oilier places. There are two soils of it more com-mon than the rest, in Europe , by tire, and by water. The for-mer was confined to persons of higher rank, the latter to the com-mon people. Both these might be performed by deputy: hutthe principal was to answer for the success of (lie trial; the’deputyonly venturing some corporal pain, for hire or perhaps for friend-ship. Tin; Fire Ordeal was performed either by taking up in tiiehand, unhurt, a piece of red-hot iron, one, two, or three poundsweight; or else by walking, barefoot, and blindfold, over ninered-hot plough-shares, laid lengthwise at unequal distances; anclif tiie party escaped being hurt, lie was adjudged innocent; hut ifit happened otherwise, as without collusion it usually did, lie wasthen condemned as guilty. Water Ordeal was performed, citherby plunging the hare arm up to the elbow in boiling water, andescaping unhurt thereby, or by casting tiie person suspected intoa river or pond of cold water; and if he floated therein withoutany action of swimming, it was deemed an evidence of his guilt;but if lie sunk lie was acquitted. It is easy to trace out the tradi-tional relics of this water ordeal, in the ignorant barbarity still prac-tised in many countries to discover witches, by cu.-aing.them intoa pool of water, and drowning them to prove their inconvenience.In the Eastern empire the lire ordeal was used for the same pur-pose, by the emperor Theodore Lascaris ; who, attributing hissickness to magic, caused all those whom lie suspected to handletiie hot iron : thus joining (as Iras been well remarked) to themost dubious crime in the world, tiie most dubious proof of in-nocence. Besides these methods of trial, there were some otherscommon in Europe ; as the judicial combat, the ordeal of tirecross and the ordeal ol tiie corsned. See Battel, and Corsned.Thu judicial combat was well suited to tin: genius ami spirit offierce and warlike ^nations, and was one of the most ancient and uni-versal