BIG 



[ 780 ] 



RIP 



Hardy annual. Seeds; light sandy soil. 

 Good for belts, knolls, or rock works. 

 R. luna'ria (Moonwort-like). Lilac, purple. 

 June. Egypt. 1757. 



RIDDLING, another name for sifting. 



RIDGING is digging tlie soil into 



parallel ridges in this form so as to 



A A A ex P ose *t thoroughly to the ac- 



*** tion either of the atmosphere 



or of frost. 



RIDGING-OUT. Planting out Cucum- 

 bers and Pumpkins in the open-ground 

 beds. Eidging, however, should not be 

 confined to the winter, for in summer 

 the 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. 

 Mr. Barnes says, " I keep all ground, 

 as soon as a crop is done with, well 

 trenched, burying all the refuse T pos- 

 sibly can in a green state, casting the 

 earth into rough ridges, tumbling those 

 ridges over with a strong fork on frosty 

 mornings in winter and spring, and 

 during hot sunny days in summer, con- 

 tinually changing the crops. Keeping 

 the hoe at work at all seasons in suit- 

 able weather, forking up all odd cor- 

 ners and spare ground without loss of 

 time. By this management, I find the 

 ground is always in good condition and 

 never tired by cropping, some judg- 

 ment only being exercised in applying 

 such properties again to the soil that 

 have been taken from it, or that are 

 likely to be required by the succeeding 

 crop." 



The most effectual mode of ridging 

 is thus described by Mr. Parkins : 



Let a, 6, c, rf, represent a section of 

 the ground to be trenched two feet 

 deep. In the first place the ground is 

 measured out in longitudinal beds four 

 feet wide ; this done, the top spit of the 

 bed c, is laid on the bed g, and the 

 second spit of the bed c, is laid on h. 

 The first or top spit of the bed/, is 

 then laid on h, so that the top soil and 

 subsoil are kept on separate and alter- 



nate 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 ma- 

 nures, and at any desired depth; a 

 thorough blending of the soil to the 

 depth of two or three feet ; and it also 

 facilitates the operation of draining 

 where necessary. It is needless to add, 

 that when the first thrown-out beds are 

 sufficiently pulverised, they are levelled 

 down, and others thrown out in the 

 same manner; g, h, ?", represent the 

 ridges thrown out and left as rough as 

 possible. 



RIGIDE'LLA. (From rigidus, stiff; 

 the stiffness of the flower-stalk. Nat. 

 ord., Irlds [Iridacese]. Linn., 3-Trian- 

 dria I-Monogynia. Allied to Tigridia.) 



Half -hardy bulbs. Offsets in spring; also by 

 seeds, in a hotbed ; rich sandy loam and peat ; 

 bulbs require to be kept from frost and damp 

 during the winter. 



R.fla'mmea (flame-coloured). 5. France. May. 

 Mexico. 1839. 



immacula'ta (unspotted). 1. Crimson. June. 



Guatemala. 183Q. 



ortha'ntha (straight-flowered) . ]$. Crimson. 



June. Mexico. 1846. 



RINGING is cutting away a belt of 

 bark quite down to the wood, entirely 

 round a branch. This checks the 

 return of the sap, and aids to make 

 that branch more fruitful, and the fruit 

 on it finer. We have seen it done with 

 the best effect upon the pear and grape 

 vine. It should be done just previously 

 to the blossoms opening. When first 

 suggested it was called the Ring of 

 Pomona. See Ligatures. 



RIPENING WOOD is one of the princi- 

 pal objects to be aimed at for the 

 production of either flowers or fruit 

 the following year. To effect this, at 

 the end of August, or early in Sep- 

 tember, superfluous branches should 

 be removed, and shoots stopped, to 

 concentrate the sap and expose those 

 retained to the full influence of the 

 sun. 



RIPO'GONUM. (From ripos, flexible, 

 and gonos, a shoot. Nat. ord., Sarsa- 

 parillas [Smilacacete], Linn., G-Hcx- 

 andria I-Monogynia.) 



