R I D 



R I V 



throwing it up into high ridges, in order to lie 

 fallow in winter, Soc, to mellow, and improve 

 in its quality and fertility. 



This is work of great utility in the kitchen 

 garden, as well as in other parts, but more 

 especially in stiff and heavy soils, and cold wet 

 lands. It is accomplished by trench-digging 

 the ground over, laying the earth or each trench 

 in a raised, rough ridge, lengthways, that by 

 thus Kins as high, open and hollow , as possible, 

 jt may meliorate and ieriihse more effectually by 

 the sveaihcr during the winter. And it receives 

 further improvement from the levelling it down 

 aoam, which is expeditiously effected, for the 

 reception of the intended seeds, plants, roots, 

 kc, which breaks, divides, and pulverises the 

 earth still more effectually. 



This ridging is generally performed either in 

 the latter end of autumn, or any time in winter, 

 or early in the spring, as the ground is the most 

 vacant at those seasons, and not generally im- 

 mediately wanted for any principal sowing or 

 planting. 



Thissort of work is executed by beginning at 

 one end of the plat of ground, and digging out 

 a trench one or two spades in width, and a full 

 spade's depth, removing the crumbs from the 

 bottom, in the length-ways across the ground, 

 and wheeling the earth to the finishing end, to 

 be read v to till up the last trench : so marking 

 out a second trench close to the first, of the same 

 width, then proceeding in the trenching and 

 ridging, previously paring the top of the second 

 trench, with all weeds, rubbish, or dung there- 

 on, if anv, into the bottom of the first, and 

 then digging the grouud of the second along 

 regularlv, the proper width and depth as above ; 

 turning the earth spit anu spit into the first open 

 trench, laving it in a raised ridge lengthways 

 thertoi, without breaking it fine, so that it 

 may lie somewhat rough and hollow, according 

 as the nature of the soil mav admit : proce-.ding 

 thus with another trench in the same manner, 

 and continuing the same with the whole, trench 

 and trench, to the end of the plat of ground ; 

 filling up the last trench with the earth of the 

 first opened, laying it no.w ridge- ways as in the 

 preceding ireuches. 



In the work of levelling down ridged ground, 

 as wanted, it should proceed regularly, ridge 

 and ridge, long-ways, levelling the earth equally 

 to the right and left, loosening any solid parts, 

 and breaking all large rough lumps and clods 

 xnoderalc'v line; forming the whole in an even 

 regular surface, in order tor sowing and planting 

 as required. 



And in general, it is not advisable to lay down 

 more than can be sown the same or next day, 



while the surface is fresh stirred, especially in 

 broad-cast sowing and raking in the Betd, as 

 most generally all tolerably light mellow 

 are more yielding to the rake while the surface 

 is fresh moved ; or before rendered wet bv ram, 

 &c, or very dry and hardened in the top earth 

 by the sun, air, and winds, in dry weather, in 

 the spring months, ike, and likewise, for sow- 

 ing seeds by bedding in and covering in with 

 earth from the alleys, &c., or with earth raked 

 oft the beds for that purpose, it would generally 

 be most successful to perform it in a fresh stirred 

 surface; though it is not so material in drill 

 sowing : and besides, when seeds are committed 

 to the earth while it is in a fresh turned up sur- 

 face, especially in a dry season, they are more 

 forwarded in a free regular germination than in 

 ground that has lain some time after digging or 

 levelling down. Though some grounds of a 

 wet, or heavy, stiff nature, sometimes require 

 to lie a few days after digging or levelling down, 

 in order for the rough cloddy surface to mellow 

 in some degree, either by drying a little, or by 

 having a moderate rain, or sometimes both, to 

 meliorate the lumpy clods, pliant to the rake, in 

 the case of broad-cast sowing and raking in the 

 seed. 



RIVINA, a genus containing plants of the 

 shrubbv evergreen kind. 



It belongs to the class and order Tetrandria 

 Monogynia, and ranks in the natural order of 

 Holorucece. 



The characters are : that the calyx is a four- 

 leaved perianth, coloured, permanent : leaflets 

 oblong-ovate, blunt : there is no corolla, unless 

 the calyx be taken for it : the stamina have four 

 or eight filaments, shorter than the calyx, ap- 

 proaching by pairs, permanent : anthers small : 

 the pistillum is a large germ, roundish : style 

 very short : stigma simple, blunt : the pericar- 

 pium is a globular berry, placed on the green re- 

 flex calyx, one-celled, with a point curved in -. 

 the seed one, roundish, lens-shaped, rugged. 



The species cultivated are : 1.7?. humilis, 

 Downy Hivina; 2. R. Iceiis, Smooth Rivina; 

 3. R. octandra, Climbing Rivina. 



The first grows taller than the second, and the 

 branches are more erect : the leaves are smaller, 

 heart-shaped, and covered with short hairy 

 down : the spikes of flowers are ml so long ; 

 the flowers are not so closely placed together, 

 and have longer peduncles. It is a native of the 

 West Indies. 



The second species rises with shrubby stalks 

 six or eight feet high, dividing into several 

 spreading branches, and covered with a gray 

 spotted bark: the leaves alternate, lanceolate, 

 entire, two inches and a half long and one inch 



