Subtropical Gardening. 19 



plants are the better the effect, of course. The smaller plants will 

 prove equally useful and effective in vases, to which they will add a 

 grace that vases rarely now possess. It is pre-eminently useful from 

 its being alike good for the house, conservatory, and even the living 

 rooms in winter. Wherever indoor decoration on a large scale is 

 practised it is indispensable, and it should be remarked that, unless 

 for vase decoration, it requires to be grown into goodly specimens 

 before affording much effect out of doors ; but when grown large 

 in tubs, it is equally grand for the large conservatory and for im- 

 portant positions in the flower garden. 



RICINUS COMMUNIS (the Castor-oil Plant}. When well grown 

 in the open air, there is not in the whole range of cultivated plants 

 a more imposing subject than this. It may have been seen nearly 

 twelve feet high in the London parks, and with leaves nearly a yard 

 wide. It is true we require a bed of very rich deep earth under it to 

 make it attain such dimensions and beauty ; but in all parts, and 

 with ordinary attention, it grows well. In warm countries, in which 

 the plant is very widely cultivated, it becomes a small tree, but is 

 much prettier in the state in which it is seen with us i.e., with an 

 unbranched stem, clothed from top to bottom with noble leaves. 

 Soon after it betrays a tendency to develope side-shoots, the cold 

 autumn conies and puts an end to all further progress; and so 

 much the better, because it is much handsomer in a simple- 

 stemmed state than any other. And the same is true of not a 

 few other large-leaved plants once they break into a number of 

 side-shoots their leaf beauty is to a great extent lost. In the plant- 

 ing out of some other subjects, it has been considered well to raise 

 the beds on lime-rubbish, &c., or in other words, building them 

 upon it, sloping up the edge with soil and turf. But to grow this 

 to perfection, the best way is to deeply excavate the bed, and place 

 some rich stuff in the bottom, making all the earth as rich as 

 possible. It is as easily raised from seed as the common bean, 

 requiring, however, to be raised in heat. The Ricinus is a grand 

 plant for making bold and noble beds near those of the more 



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