BADIX RHEl. 501 



Collinsou obtained rhubarb plants from seeds procured In Tartary, 



and sent to him in 1742 by Professor Siegesbeck of St. Petersburg.' _ 



About 1777 Hayward, an apothecary of Banbury in Oxfordshire, 

 commenced the cultivation of rhubarb with plants of i?/i. lihaponticum, 

 raised from seeds sent from Russia in 1762. The drug he produced 

 was so good that the Society of Arts awarded him in 1789 a silver 

 medal, and in 1794 a gold medal.' The Society also awarded medala 

 about the same time (1789-1793) to growers of rhubarb in Soniersct- 

 shire, Yorkshire, and Middlesex, some of whom, it appears, cultivated 

 Rh. iKdmatum. On the death of Hayward in 1811, his rhubarb 

 ])lants came into the possession of Mr. P. Usher, by whose descendants, 

 Mr. R. Usher and sons, they are still cultivated at Bodicott, a village 



near Banbury. 



The authors of this book had the pleasure of inspecting the rhubarb 

 fields of Messrs. Usher on Sept. 4, 1872, and of seeing the whole process 

 of preparing the root for the market.^* The land under cultivation is 

 about 17 acres, the soil being a rich friable loam. The roots are taken 

 from the ground during the autumn up to -the mouth of November. 

 It is considered advantageous that they should be 6 or 7 years old, but 

 they are seldom allowed to attain more than 8 or 4 years. Ihe 

 clumps of root as removed from the field to the yard, where the 

 trimming takes place, are of huge size, weighing with the earth 

 attached to them as much as 60 or 70 lb. They are partially cleaned, 

 the smaller roots are cut off, and the large central portion is rapidly 

 trimmed into a short, cylindrical mass the size of a child s head, i y-s 

 latter subsequently undergoes a still further paring, and is hnaiiy 

 sliced longitudinally ; the other and less valuable roots are also pared 

 trimmed, and assorted abcording to size. The fresh roots are fleshy . 

 easily cut, and of a beautiful deep yellow. All are dried in l^^'Wings 

 constructed for the purpose, and heated by flues. Ihe drying occupies 

 several weeks. The root after drying has a .^l^'ivelled uns^^htly 

 appearance, which may be remedied by paring and filing. Ihe nnisneu 



drug has to be stored in a warm dry place. ^ovon^P 



When well prepared, Banbury rhubarb is of excellent appeaiance^ 



The finest pieces, which are semi-cylindrical, are quite equal msi^e^ 



the drug of China. The colour is as good, and the fractured urtace 



exhibits pink markings not less distinct a".'^,^"^\\^"S ^''^lo^^^^ 

 smaller roots, which are dried as sticks, have internally a good colour 



are 



texture. The 'structure is the same as th=rt of the Chinese rnu 

 except that, as already stated, the star-like spots, it present 



except that, as already ^ , - 



isolated, and not arranged in a regular zone. i • ^i,, cnlrl it is said 



The dn,g ccnmands but a low price, -J^ 'S ch.ett^ sold, H «^^a._^ 

 for exportation in the state of powder. It is noi cabnj i 



Loud 



on. 



French and German Rl 



as 



^^^Dillwyn, Hortm Colllnsonianns, 1843. ^ '£ "parScXV Tre given by Holmes, 



'^ Trans. o/Soc. of Arts. viii. (1790) 75; Aar... Journal, vii. (1877) 1017. 

 ^". (1794)225. 



