Riehardia 



( 276 ) 



Ridging 



Propagation. By division, offsets and seeds. 

 Spring is the most suitable time. 



Soil. Rich, fibrous loam with well-rotted cow 

 manure. 



Other Cultural Points. The old system of dry- 

 ing off Kichardias is falling into desuetude, and 

 they are now kept growing in the pots, or planted 

 out in summer, and taken indoors before the 

 approach of frost. Trouble is saved by planting 

 them out in rich soil in early summer, keeping 

 them well supplied with water, and lifting and 

 repotting one in a 15" or two or three in a larger 

 pot in the beginning or middle of September. A 



B.,jf^y 



r,, A 



POTTING KICHAUDIAS (AKUM LILIES). 



A, rootstock : a, older portion ; 6, old roots ; c, new roots ; 



d, "bulblets" formed at base of crown or from previous 

 year's growth of rhizome ; e, bulblets just pushing 

 on crown ; /, growing point ; g, depth of potting. 



B, bulblet: h, growing point; /, base from which roots I 



issue ; j t depth of inserting. 



C, rootstook from which bulblets and buds have been ! 

 removed and properly potted: k, drainage (crocks); j 

 /, rough compost ; m, soil ; n, space for water ; 

 o, rliizome of plant; p, points from which pushing 

 bulblets have been removed; q, new roots emitted; 



r, point of growth. 



D, leaves and spathe of Little Gem Lily : a, leaves ; 

 (, spathe. 



E, bulblets properly potted at the sides of a 3" pot : 

 o, drainage ; u t rough compost ; w, soil ; *, bulblets 

 of Little Gem Richardia ; y. space for water. 



sheltered position must be selected for their 

 summer cultivation. Africana can be grown in 

 mild districts as a hardy aquatic if the crowns of 

 the plants are so deep in the water that frost 

 cannot reach them. The other Richardias require 

 a higher temperature, a lighter soil, and a longer 

 rest than africana, which doss well with one of 40 

 to 50" in winter. 



Kichardias are much benefited by weak liquid 

 manure. Keep down green fly. 



Principal Species and Varieties : 

 africana, '2', spr., sum., nana compacta, 1'. 

 wh. (syns. sethiopica 

 and Calla ffithiopica). 

 Lily of the Nile, 

 White Arum Trumpet 

 Lily. 



devoniensis, 1J', free 

 bloomer. 



grandinora, taller, 

 larger spathes. 



Little Gem, a rather 



shy bloomer. Godfrey's 

 var. is better. 



Perle von Stuttgart, 



H', purer wh. than 



type, 

 albomaculata, 2', sum., 



greenish wh. Ivs. with 



wh. blotches. 

 sulphurea, soft yel., 



blk centre, 

 elliottiana, 3J', Aug., 



yel. 

 hastata, 2', sum., greenish 



il. (//. iiurata aud 

 uti 



utwychei). 



melauoleuea, 1J', sum., 

 pale yel. , blackish pur. at 

 base. Suffusa is a vigor- 

 ous var. 



Pentlandii, 2', sum., deep 



yel., purplish blk. at 

 base (ay a. angustiloba). 



Rehmamiii, 2', sum., rosy 

 pur. or wh., margined 

 ro. (./. Lehniiuini). 



Ilhodesia, golden yel. 



RICHARDSONIA. 



Stove evergreens (ord. Rubiacea:). Propagation, 

 by cuttings in very sandy soil, beneath a bell-glass, 

 over bottom heat. Soil, peat, loam, and coarse 

 sand. 



Principal Species: 



pilosa, 2', Sep., wh. (syns. scabra and Richardia 

 scabra). Mexican Coca. 



RICHEA. 



Greenhouse shrubs or trees (ord. Epacridca 1 ). 

 Propagation, by cuttings in sandy peat, beneath a 

 bell-glass, over gentle heat. Soil, fibrous peat and 

 coarse sand. 



Principal Species : 

 pandauifolia, n" to 30', sprengelioides, 5', Je., 



sum., wh., pk. red. 



RICINUS. (CASTOB OIL PLANT.) 

 A handsome tree, usually treated as a half- 

 hardy annual (ord. Euphorbiaceae). It is largely 

 used for its sub-tropical effect in summer. From 

 its seeds the medicinal castor oil is extracted. 

 Propagation, by seeds, sown singly in small pots 

 about the end of March in heat. Kepot into larger 

 sizes as required ; keep growing under glass until 

 early in June. If checked in their growth their 

 beauty will be greatly lessened. A rich, well- 

 manured soil is needed. 

 Only Species and Principal Varieties : 



Gibsonii, Ivs. bron/e 

 pur. 



Gibsonii atrosauguin- 

 eus, Ivs. critn. reel. 



maculatus, Ivs. coppery 

 bronze, veined red. 



zauzibarensis, 6' to 8', 

 Ivs. large, gru., vein. 

 wh., seeds large. 



comnmnis, 3' to 5', Jy., 

 grn. (syns. armatus, 

 etc. ; see p. '277). 

 - borbouiensis, 5', Ivs. 

 bronze gm. 



cambodgensis, Ivs. 

 pur., stems and 

 branches blk. 



cinerascens, Ivs. brown- 

 ish pur. 



RICOTIA. 



Hardy annuals (ord. Cruciferse). Propagation, 

 by seeds. Any fertile garden soil. 



Principal Species : 



Lunaria, 6", Je., HI. pur. (syn. regyptiaca of Lin- 

 naeus and Botanical Register t. 4J(). 



RIDGING. 



Heavy ground is much improved, if, when dug or 

 trenched in the autumn, the surface is left as 

 rough as possible, so that frost, snow, wind, and 

 rain may act upon it. Such action enriches the 

 soil by the disintegration of parts previously 

 solid and also brings it into a better working 

 condition by seed time. A further step in this 

 direction is ridging, which consists in leaving the 

 surface in parallel ridges so that a larger quantity 

 of the soil is exposed to the elements than could 

 otherwise be. In the spring these ridges work 

 down easily and finely under fork and rake. 



Ridging for summer crops such as Marrows and 

 Cucumbers is conducted on a larger scale. The 



Ricinella (see Adelia). 

 Itidan (see Actinomeris). 



