THE 



GARDENERS' DICTIONARY. 



ABE 



ABELE TREE. (Populus alba.) 



ABLACTATION, the same as In- 

 arching, and so called because it is 

 a gradual withdrawing of the scion from 

 its parent, the same as weaning, which 

 in Latin is ahlactatio. 



ABLAQUEATIONjbaring the bodies 

 of a tree's main roots. This was an old 

 mode of checking the tree's over luxu- 

 riance, for the purpose of making it fer- 

 tile. A much less injurious plan is to 

 drain the soil, and mix it with sand, 

 chalk, or other less rich addition. An- 

 other method successfully pursued is to 

 open a trench around the body, at a 

 suitable distance, thus shortening the 

 roots, and arresting the tree's rapid 

 growth. 



ABNODATION, cutting off excres- 

 cences and the slumps of branches 

 close to the stem. The intention of 

 this is to have the wound heal over, 

 but it is very doubtful, in the case of 

 branches, whether the extremity of a 

 stump properly treated will not heal 

 quicker than a wound close to the 

 trunk. The unsightly aspect of pro- 

 truding stumps will, however, induce 

 close pruning. 



ABRICOCK, an old mode of spelling 

 Apricot, Armeniaca vulgaris. 



ABRAXAS grossularia. Magpie 

 Moth. The caterpillar of this moth 

 often infests the leaves of the gooseber- 

 ry bush, as well as the currant, sloe, 

 and even the peach, in eariv summer. 

 " The caterpillar," says Mr. Curtis, " is 

 white, slightly tinged with blue, and 

 having numerous black spots on the 

 back ; it is called a looper, from its pe- 

 culiar mode of walking ; it fixes itself 

 first firmly with its hind feet, and then 

 extends its body fully ; after which it 

 puts down its f<ire feet, and draws the 

 hind part of its body as close afler them 

 2 



AC A 



as possible, thus forming an arch or 

 loop." — Gard. Chron. 



ABROMA. Two species. Stove 

 evergreen shrubs. Seed or cuttings. 

 Loam and peal. 



ABRONIA. Two species. Hardy 

 perennial trailers. Rooted slips. Sandy 

 peat. 



. AQKVS precaforius. Wild Liquorice. 

 Stove climber. Cuttings. Sand and 

 peat. 



ABUTA rufescens. Stove evergreen 

 climber. Rooted slips. Loam and 

 peat. 



ABUTILON. Three species. One 

 stove, and two green-house evergreen 

 shrubs. Cuttings. Light rich loam. 

 A. striatum. Green-house shrub. " As 

 this seems likely to suit a bed in the 

 flower garden, to increase it keep it in 

 the stove, as it will there push even in 

 winter, and every two joints will be 

 sufficient for a cutting, which will make 

 a plant in a fortnight or three weeks. 

 By the time the cutting has pushed far 

 enough to admit of being topped, ano- 

 ther cutting may be made of it, and pro- 

 ceeded with as before. If kept in the 

 green-house during winter it will not 

 move at all." — Gard. Chron. 



ACACIA. 274 species, stove and 

 green-house evergreens. Cuttings. 

 Sandy loam and peat. 



AC/ENA splendens. Green-house 

 evergreen. Seed. Loam and peat. 



ACANTHOPHIPPIUM. Three spe- 

 cies. Stove epiphytes. Offsets. Sandy 

 peat and light loam. 



ACANTHUS. Bear's Breech. Eight 

 species. Six hardy herbaceous peren- 

 nials ; division of roots. One green- 

 house perennial ; seed. One stove 

 evergreen; cuttings. All require sandy 

 peat and loam. 



ACARUS, the Plant Mite. Class 



