278 



JOURNAL OF HORTIOULTOEE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ April 8, 1876. 



mixed with rotten leaves ; plant near the surface. When up 

 earth them over until about the middle of May, and you will, 

 season being favourable, be rewarded with fine, large, clear, 

 and good Potatoes. — B. Gilbert. 



THE CASTOR-OIL PLANT. 



RiciNus ooMMCNiB, or Castor-oil Plant, is a native of India, 

 and was introduced to our stoves in 1548. It has long been cul- 

 tivated, and from the supposed resemblance of its beautifully 

 mottled seeds to an insect known as the tick or ricinus, the 

 ancients applied that name to the plant. Seeds have also 

 been found in ancient Egyptian mummy cases, and it has been 

 known as a medicinal plant from time immemorial. 



It is cultivated as a 

 commercial product in 

 the Levant, Spain, Brazil, 

 and other parts of the 

 tropica. Some of the 

 species are found growing 

 spontaneously in Italy, 

 choosing as their habitat 

 the moist thickets on the 

 southern coast. From the 

 province of Verona the 

 largest supplies of both 

 seeds and oil are now 

 drawn, and from nowhere 

 can such pure oil be had 

 as from the manufactories 

 of that province. The 

 plants are grown in fields 

 of rich soil in rows i to 

 o feet apart, and 3 feet 

 distant in the rows. They 

 are earthed-up as they 

 grow, and in September 

 the seeds are gatliered by 

 women. It is stored and 

 manufactured with great 

 care, and good seed will 

 yield about sixty-six per 

 cent, of the commercial 

 oil. 



As ornamental plants 

 the different varieties of 

 this genus are largely cul- 

 tivated. The large, broad, 

 palmate leaves, from 

 which is derived its popu- 

 lar name, Palma Christi, 

 are very effective by their 

 rich glaucous purplish hue 

 and the metallic lustre of 

 their surface. It was for- 

 merly grown only under 

 glass, but since subtropi- 

 cal plants for our gardens 

 have become popular, the 

 Castor-oil Plant has form- 

 ed an important part of 

 this extremely ornamental 

 mode of garden decoration. 



When well grown few 

 plants are more stately than this, or form a more distinct 

 feature amongst the occupants of the garden. R. sanguineus, 

 E. Obermanni, and E. purpureus are amongst the most effec- 

 tive varieties ; where one only is required, that first named 

 may be selected. 



They are easily raised by sowing seed at the present time. 

 To insure a free germination the seed must be placed in brisk 

 bottom heat, such as is afforded by a Cacumber or Melon 

 frame. It may be sown one seed in the centre of a small pot, 

 or several in a pan, the seedlings to be afterwards potted. 



The plants must be grown in a genial temperature of 60° at 

 night, and be shifted into larger pots as they require, and be 

 kept in a light place near the glass. By this means they will 

 be fine plants by the let of .Tune, when, after being duly pre- 

 pared, they may be planted out. 



The soil suitable for potting them is rich tnrfy loam with 

 a little peat and leaf mould. The plants require copious 

 supplies of water when in active growth. The soil in which 



they are planted should be rich and deeply worked, and the 

 site sheltered from strong winds, which cause injury to the 

 foliage. 



A point of importance to bear in mind in the raising of 

 these plants is for the cultivator to correctly calculate his con- 

 veniences for growing them on without check. February is 

 not too early to sow the seed in one garden, but March sowing 

 may be premature in another. The time for sowing is to be 

 decided by the means of growing the plants freely afterwards. 

 By attention to this, those having no other convenience than 

 a warm frame and cool structure or two may have attractive 

 Castor-oil Plants. In this case the end of April will be suffi- 

 ciently early to sow the seed, and by the time the plants are 

 established the weather will permit their being removed to an 



unheated structure with- 

 out injury. 



Plants from seed sown 

 in AprU and having no 

 obstacles to free growth 

 will have a better appear- 

 ance in August than 

 those from seed sown two 

 months earlier, and which 

 had become drawn and 

 obstructed in growth by 

 lack of suitable conveni- 

 ences. This is a rock on 

 which many a wreck oc- 

 curs. Safety lies in cal- 

 culating means, and from 

 this determining the right 

 time to sow seeds of tender 

 plants. 



Those who have beds 

 filled with annuals which 

 are not off the ground 

 until July, may at that 

 time have the beds re- 

 filled with Castor-oil 

 Plants from seed sown in 

 April, or even as late as 

 the first week in May, and 

 the plants be grown on, 

 liberally and freely, in 

 frames heated by the sun 

 alone. By rich ground and 

 an abundance of warmed 

 water the plants, if not tall , 

 will be highly ornamen- 

 tal through the autumn 

 months, and will increase 

 in beauty until destroyed 

 by frost. Single plants in 

 suitable places always look 

 well. Plants from seed 

 sown late will not flower, 

 but that is of little or no 

 importance, as the orna- 

 mental appearance of the 

 plant is due to its noble 

 growth and beautiful foli- 

 age ; yet in the hot sum- 

 mer of 18C8 we saw 

 plants flowering out of 

 from seed which had been 



Fig. C3.— Castor-oil plant (Ricinus communi'i). 



doors in the midland counties 

 sown in April. — W. 



AQUAEIUM AND FLOWER STAND, 

 How TO Fill the Aquakium. — First cover the bottom of the 

 tank to the depth of one half-inch with pure fine sand, on the top 

 of which put an equal quantity of fine gravel ; over this gravel 

 sprinkle small ornamental stones, sheila, coral, &i. Everything 

 put into the tank must be thoroughly washed. Next put in 

 position an ornamental central piece of coral, stone, or any- 

 thing out of which yon can construct an arch through which 

 the fish can readily swim. Now fill the tank one-third full 

 with pure cold water from a lake, river, or well. 



Plants. — The best aquatic plant for aL-rating the water in the 

 aquarium is Anacharis canadensis, found growing (in America) 

 on the bottom of nearly all sluggish streams and ponds. 

 The Valisneria spiralis is the next best, after which comes the 



