ACACIA. 



AC HIM EN ES. 



loam, sand, and leaf-mould, or struck from 

 cuttings in gentle heat in April and Sep- 

 tember. Temperature in winter from 35 

 to 40. Plant out in the open ground about 

 the end of May. Plants in pots must be 

 well drained and freely watered. A little 

 liquid manure may be given in the summer 

 months. In autumn and winter but little 

 water should be given. 



Aca'cia (nat. ord. Leguminoss). 



Elegant-growing plants, natives of Aus- 

 tralia, the East Indies, and Mexico ; nearly 

 vll are evergreen. During winter and early 

 spring they flower freely in greenhouses, 

 mt they are not hardy enough to endure 

 >ur climate unprotected except in the 

 summer, when they may be plunged with 

 'heir pots in borders with good effect. Of 

 Acacias there is a great variety ; all may be 

 grown readily from seed, which is best 

 imported, and from cuttings in pots of very 

 Hne mould, set in a hot-bed. Among the 

 most beautiful varieties are Acacia l albicans, 

 with fine silver foliage, about 5 ft. high ; 

 A. balsamea y yellow, about 6 ft. high; A. 

 Drummondi) yellow, 10 ft. high ; A. Ixio- 

 phylla^ golden yellow, 2 ft.; A. odoratissima, 

 white, with fine long pendent blossoms, 

 very fragrant ; A. spinosa^ rose-coloured 

 and white. The roots of the Acacia are 

 said to send forth a noxious smell, which 

 renders them unpleasant and unhealthy in 

 confined houses. 



Culture. Acacias are propagated from 

 cuttings set in sand and peat, and taken 

 from half-ripened wood and put in with a 



1 In order to save space and the constant repe- 

 tition of the generic name, the genus or tribe to 

 which all the plants belong is simply denoted by 

 the capital letter of the word. Thus, in the present 

 article, the common name Acacia is expressed by 

 the capital letter A., and this mode of expression is 

 continued throughout the work. This mode of abbre- 

 viation is followed in all works on gardening, and 

 the reader is requested to note this. The rule also 

 prevails in names of varieties, but the letter distinc- 

 tive of the genus is frequently omitted, as in the 

 preceding article, Abutiion. 



bed in May, after pruning the trees, &c. 

 They require a mild temperature, and 

 must be watered freely. They may also be 

 raised from seeds sown when ripe in pans, 

 about | inch deep, and when grown in this 

 way will require a gentle bottom heat. 

 Plants must be well drained and kept well 

 watered. Temperature in winter should 

 not fall lower than 40. 



Acan'thus, or Bear's Breech (nat. 



ord. Acanthacese). 



Herbaceous perennials, attractive for the 

 beauty of their foliage ; natives of Southern 

 Europe. The most common varieties are 

 A. mollis and A. Spinosus. From the 

 former of these the original idea of the 



ACANTHUS, OR BEAK'S BREECH. 



capita! of the Corinthian order of architec- 

 ture is said to have been derived. 



Culture. All the sorts grow readily 

 from seed, or they may be increased by 

 dividing the roots. They require a light 

 but rich garden soil and plenty of room. 



Ac'arus. See Red Spider. 



Achime'nes (nat. ord. Gesneracese). 



A genus of truly splendid plants, suitable 

 either for the sitting-room, greenhouse, 01 

 stove, and especially adapted for hanging- 



