68 4 



RICINUS. 



THE ENGLISH FLOWER GARDEN. 



ROBINIA. 



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in 1687. It is emphatically a Cape plant, 

 and is not found within 1,000 miles 

 or so of the Nile, although it is commonly 

 known as the Lily of the Nile. In some 

 parts of this country, for instance Corn- 

 wall, it has become naturalised in shallow 

 water, spreading and flowering with 

 the same freedom as in the ditches 

 and swamps of the Cape. 



RICINUS (Castor-oil Plant). R. 

 commimis is a much-grown plant in 



Rodgersia podophylln. 



warm countries, growing out of doors 

 in the warm months in ours, and used 

 for bold beds near those of the more 

 brilliant flowers, but it is not well to 

 associate it closely with bedding 

 plants, because of its strong growth 

 and the shading of its leaves. It 

 requires rich deep earth to form its 

 finest leaves, and to raise the plants a 

 brisk hot-bed is needed in February 

 or March, in which to plunge the pots 

 in which the seeds should be sown. 

 About the end of May gradually inure 

 them to a cool temperature, and after 

 a few weeks place them in a sheltered 

 position out of doors. By the end of 

 June they may be planted out in the 



beds ; the more sheltered the situati 

 the better. Plant and water them 

 with soft rain-water, and mulch the 

 surface with manure. During hot 

 weather manure-water will be of use. 

 It is not at home in our climate, and 

 I never wished to see it in my garden. 



ROBINIA (False A cacia) .Beau- 

 tiful flowering trees for lawn or shrub- 

 bery. The common Acacia or Locust 

 Tree (R. pseudoacacia) is of quick 

 growth, hardy, and thrives almost 

 anywhere. The ordinary form, with 

 its white Pea-shaped blossom, in full 

 beauty about the end of July, is the 

 most familiar. Of the numerous var- 

 ieties the following are the best : 

 Decaisneana, with delicate pink 

 flowers ; semperflorens, flowering 

 throughout the summer, and having 

 white blossoms and bright green 

 foliage ; and Bessoniana, the thornless 

 branches of which form a dense 

 globular head of deep green foliage, 

 which is retained until very late in 

 autumn, hence its great value as a 

 town or a street tree ; mimoscefolia, 

 with finely-divided leaves ; fastigiata,. 

 of upright growth ; crispa, with curled 

 foliage ; monophylla, with leaves entire 

 instead of pinnate ; umbraculifera, with 

 a spreading head ; macrophylla, with 

 large leaves ; sophor&folia, with leaves 

 like the Japanese Sophora ; and 

 inermis, with a small head of spineless 

 branches. The varieties of Robin ia 

 are very often striking and graceful 

 trees and group hardy. I planted 

 some of the most attractive, but they 

 were always grafted on the common 

 wild kind, which in due time kills the 

 precious variety, often smaller and 

 finer in leaf, and so little by little 

 they gradually perish. After much 

 trouble I was able to get a few 

 little cuttings of the Mimosa-leaved 

 form from a friend at Orleans. These 

 I put in, and are now graceful bushes, 

 quite hardy, and without a sign of 

 going back. This is only one of the 

 many examples of the evils of grafting, 

 the result of which for the trade is 

 serious, because the trees go out of 

 cultivation eventually. 



R. HISPIDA (Rose Acacia) is one of 

 the finest of small trees, requiring little 

 room and not fastidious as to soil. It 

 is naturally straggling in growth, 5 to 

 15 feet high ; its foliage is much larger 

 than that of the other Robinias ; the 

 clear rose-pink flowers are also larger. 

 A well-flowered specimen is a pretty 

 sight. It flowers in Tune, but often 



