RIC 



505 



green climber. Cuttings. Loam, peat, | 

 and sand. [ 



RICINUS. Eight species. Half- i 

 liardy annuals and green-house ever- 

 green shrubs. Seeds and cuttings. 

 Rich soil. R. communis produces ttie 

 Castor Oil. 



RICOTIA lunar ia. Hardy annual. 

 Seeds. Light sandy soil. 



RIDGING is digging the soil into 

 ... parallel ridges in this form — so 

 AAA „„ ,„ „^„„,„ ;, .1,„,„,,„UI„ ,„ .l.„ 



deep. In the first place the ground is 

 measured out in longitudinal beds four 

 feet wide ; this done, the top spit of the 



,^ _- ---0-- - -- bed c, is laid on the bed g, and the 



as to expose it thoroughly to the second spit of the bed c, is laid on h. 

 action either of the atmosphere or of The first or top spit of the bed /, is then 



frost. 



M. Schluber says, "that freezing re- 

 duces the consistency of soils most re- 

 markably, and that in the case of clays 

 and other adhesive soils, the diminution 

 of this consistency amounts to at least 

 fifty per cent." 



In hoeing clay he found it reduced 

 from S'xty-nine to forty-five of the scale 

 already stated, and in the ordinary 

 arable soil from thirty-three to twenty. 



laid on h, so that the top soil and sub- 

 i soil are kept on separate and alternate 

 i beds, and may be mixed, reversed, or 

 ! returned as taken out, at the will of 

 the operator. By this method the ad- 

 vantages are — much greater exposure 

 of surface to the action of the weather; 

 the opportunity of incorporating with 

 the soil any desirable or obtainable 

 manures, and at any desired depth ; a 

 thorough blending of the soil to the 



— .; " ^"-j- •■•■^•^^i^-- ^.^.. — f, -■ — -- — 



He satisfactorily explains this phenome- depth of two or three feet ; and it also 

 non, by observing that the crystals of facilitates the operation of draining, 

 ice pervading the entire substance of where necessary. It is needless to add, 

 the frozen sod, necessarily separate the i that when the first thrown-out beds are 

 particfes of earth, rendering their points sufficiently pulverized, they are levelled 

 of contact fewer. down, and others thrown out in the 



Ridging, however, should not be con- same manner; g, h, i, represent the 

 fined to the winter, for in summer the ridges thrown out and left as rough as 



extra exposure to the air and heat is 

 highly promotive of vegetation — it im- 

 pregnates the soil with oxygen, pro- 

 motes the decay of stubborn vegetable 

 remains, and disturbs predatory vermin. 



possible." — Gard. Chron. 



RIGIDELL.\ flammea. Stove tuber- 

 ous-rooted perennial. Offsets or seeds. 

 Light rich soil. 



RINGING is a practice adopted for 



, , J . V, I .»,»,^.».». , , 



Mr. Barnes says, " I keep all ground, ; the purpose of checking the return of 

 as soon as a crop is done with, well the sap, and thereby confining a larger 

 trenched, burying all- the refuse I pos- ; supply to the blossom. It is removing 

 sibly can in a green state, casting the j an entire zone of bark, about an inch 

 earth into rough ridges, tumbling those I wide, around the branch to be ren- 

 ridges over with a strong fork on frosty dered more fruitful, and taking care 

 mornings in winter and spring, and ' that the bark be completely removed 

 during hot sunny days in summer, con- down to the very wood. This was 

 tinually changing the crops. Keeping designated the ring of Pomona, but it 

 the hoe at work at all seasons in suit- certainly was not auspiciously received 

 able weather, forking up all odd cor- by that deity; for although it renders 

 ners and spare ground without loss of the part of the branch superior to the 

 time. By this management, I find the wound more fruitfiil for two or three 

 ground is always in good condition and j seasons, yet it renders the branch un- 

 never tired by cropping, some judgment sightly by the swelling which occurs 

 only being exercised in applying such around the upper lip of the wound, and 

 properties again to the soil that have | is always followed by disease and un- 

 been taken from it, or. that are likely to fruitfulness. See Ligature. 

 be retiuired by the succeeding crop." RIPOGONUM. Two species. 



An effectual mode of ridging is thus Green-house evergreen climbers. — 



described 

 " Let a, b, c, d, represent a section 



Young cuttings. Loam and peat- 

 RIVEA liliafolia. Stove evergreen 



of the ground to be trenched two feet ! twiner. Cuttings. Rich.oam ana peat. 



