73° Journal of Agriculture. [9 Dec, 1907 



!\1anuring — Preparation — Planting. 



Stable manure is undoubtedly the best fertilising agent for any plant 

 requiring a deal of moisture and plant food for the production of large 

 foliage. In preparing land for rhubarb a liberal dressing of partly decayed 

 stable manure should be worked into the soil some time before planting. 

 There is little danger of over-manuring dry and poor soils for rhubarb. 

 It is important that the preparation should be thorough, as a bed or planta- 

 tion well prepared should last for many years in full profit, if treated in a 

 proper manner*. After the plants are established annual dressings of stable 

 manure in autumn are necessary, to which artificial manures may be added, 

 or be lightly worked into the surface soil at end of winter. Blood manure 

 and bone-dust are popular fertilizers in the district where the plant is most 

 ■extensively grown for sale purposes, being applied in July and lightly 

 ploughed into the soil. 



Rhubarb is propagated from divisions of the crowns and from seeds. 

 Seedlings vary considerably, many being very inferior, and are not worth 

 raising unless new varieties are aimed at. A piece of root with one eye 

 ■or bud attached is sufficient to produce a good strong plant. These 

 divisions should be planted in autumn before the soil becomes cold, at a 

 ■depth of about three inches below the surface. The best plan is to -olant 

 in rows about four to five feet apart, allowing from three to four feet for 

 €ach plant in the rows. The soil may be worked into narrow lands or 

 ridgecl along each row of plants. Either method assists in gathering the 

 crop and also insures drainage of excessive surface moisture. During 

 summer the soil should 1)6 kept in a loose fine condition at the surface, or 

 in heavy soils mulched with stable manure, &c. The mulching may be 

 worked into the soil during May, at which time the plants are at rest. An 

 open situation is necessary. 



Gathering and Best Varieties. 



The plants are fit to " pull " during the second season of growth, if 

 strong and large. Usually a fair crop of stalks is available during the 

 third year, only the largest and best stalks being pulled. The leaves are 

 pulled, and detach readily at the point of insertion on the crowns. All 

 small leaves should be allowed to remain to exercise ordinary leaf functions, 

 and after the spring season the whole of foliage should be allowed to grow, 

 except on very strong plants, or where they are becoming crowded. The 

 Crop of a future season depends largely on strong leaf growth during 

 summer. Weakly plants should not be pulled, and flower stalks should 

 be destroyed as they appear, to conserve the energy of the plants for leaf 

 and root production. 



There are several varieties of rhubarb catalogued by nurserymen, but 

 only two are grown generally by market gardeners, viz., Early Albert and 

 Topp's Winter. Early Albert is the finest rhubarb in cultivation here, 

 producing large juicy stalks of good colour. It is also the earliest of the 

 spring rhubarbs, and a vigorous variety. Some of the finest stalks are 

 produced during January, when a reasonable number may be pulled for 

 home use if required. Myatt's Linnaeus is the only other summer variety 

 grown by market growers, succeeding " Earlv Albert," and being of good 

 quality, though deficient in colour. Topp's Winter is also fairlv largely 

 grown for sale purposes. It is very hardy and prolific, and requires less 

 room than the other varieties. The stalks are much smaller, but the colour 



