Encyclopaedia of Gardening 269 



Quaking Grass. See Briza. 



Quassia. Quassia chips, the product of Picraena excelsa, form 

 a useful insecticide; if a handful are soaked in a gallon of cold water 

 for a few hours they make a " bitter " which destroys aphides; or 

 they may be boiled with soft soap, 4- Ib. of each to 10 gallons of water. 



Quercus, Oak (quer-cus, from quer (Celtic), fine, and cuez, tree. 

 Ord. Cupuliferae). The noblest of our forest trees, growing splendid 

 timber. The common British Oak is Q. Robur, and there are two 

 forms, one with stalked and the other with stalkless acorn cups ; the 

 former, called pedunculata, is classed as a separate species by some 

 botanists, and there are several good garden varieties of it, notably 

 fastigiata, columnar; heterophylla, much-divided leaves; and pen- 

 dula, drooping. There are also several varieties of the stalkless 

 form, sessiliflora. Q. cerris, the Turkey Oak, is a popular tree, and 

 has several forms, such as laciniata, much cut ; Lucombeana, which 

 holds its leaves very late; and variegata. Q. Ilex is the Holly, 

 Holm, or Evergreen Oak, and it also has several varieties. Q. Mir- 

 beckii is a handsome Oak with large toothed leaves. Q. coccinea 

 Knap Hill Scarlet is one of the best garden Oaks, as its leaves colour 

 richly and hang right through the autumn. Q. suber is the Cork 

 ( );ik ; its bark is the cork of commerce. 



Quick. Young plants of Crataegus Oxyacantha are called Quick 

 when grown for hedges. See Hedge. 



Quince (Pyrus Cydonia or Cydonia vulgaris). See Fruit. 



Raceme. A cluster of flowers in which each flower, on its own 

 stalk, grows on a central stalk. 



Radish, Raphanus sativus (raph-anus, from ra, quick, and 

 phainomai, to appear, in reference to the rapid germination. Ord. 

 Cruciferae). See Kitchen Garden. 



Ragged Robin, Lychnis Flos-cuculi. 



Rake. Iron rakes of various sizes are useful in reducing lumpy 

 soil to a fine state suitable for sowing, and removing stones. A* 

 i o-in. is a useful size. Rakes should be mounted on Ash handles. A 

 wooden rake with a 2 -ft. head is useful for raking up leaves in autumn. 



Ramondia (ramond-ia, after M. Ramond. Ord. Gesneraceae). 

 Pretty hardy perennial alpines, suitable for the rockery or selected 

 nooks in the border. Pyrenaica, which grows about 6 ins. high 

 and bears violet flowers in summer, is the best known (see the 

 Botanical Magazine, t. 236) ; there is a white variety and also a 

 dark one called purpurea. Serbica Nathaliae, with violet flowers, 

 is a pretty variety. They like peat and loam in equal parts, with 

 grit. Propagation is by seed in a greenhouse or frame in spring, or 

 by division of old, well-established plants. 



Rampion. See Kitchen Garden. 



Ranunculus, Crowfoot (ranun-culus, from rana, a frog, because of 

 their love of moist places. Ord. Ranunculaceae) . A large genus, 

 varying greatly in habit and duration. Acris is the common Butter- 



