RHU 



503 



RHU 



(Iron, but require no particular direc- 

 tions. Cuttings will also sometimes 

 succeed, and if a branch is desirably 

 removable let it be cut off. The cut- 

 tings should be only half ripe. Plant 

 in a large sized pot, two-thirds full of 



the Tobolsk ; Gigantic ; Victoria, (best;) 

 and Bucks or Elford. 



Soil and Situation. — The soil best 

 suited to these plants is light, rich, 

 deep, unshaded, and moderately moist. 

 \ poor heavy or shallow soil never pro- 



the compost, cover with a glass, fitting duces them in perfection 



within the rim of the pot: place in a Sou'ing. — It may be propagated by 



frame, with a trifling bottom-heat, or in cuttings, but the mode almost univer- 



a common propagating house; or, for sally practised is by seed. Sow soon 



want of a better accommodation, in a after it is ripe, in September or October, 



greenhouse or cold garden frame. The for if kept out of the ground until the 



glass must be wiped clean every morn- spring, it often continues dormant for 



ing, and the sand kept moist. Neglect twelve months : if the danger of this, 



of watering is fatal. When the cuttings however, is risked, sow early in Feb- 



are struck they must be treated as seed- ruary or March, in drills three feet 



lings. — Gard. and Prac. Flor. 



apart, and an inch deep, tlie plants to 



Soil for Out-door Kinds. — A light remain where raised ; for although they 

 loam, manured annually with a mixture will bear removing, yet it always checks 

 of peat and leaf-mould suits them best, and somewhat lessens their growth. 

 The subsoil should be retentive, for if| When they make their appearance in. 



very dry they will not flourish. 

 Pruning. — They require but 



little 



the spring, and have been thoroughly 

 cleared of weeds, thin to six or eight 



pruning, except to remove superfluous , inches asunder, and let the surface of 

 branches, &c., and this is best done in the ground about them be loosened 

 April. Mr. Glenny says that old plants \ with the hoe. At the close of summer. 



which have become bare at the bottor 

 are easily converted into standards by 

 selecting the largest bare stem, cutting 

 all the rest away, and pruning the head I 

 into shape. If the stem be growing out 



when it can be determined which are 

 the strongest plants, finally thin to three 

 or four feet, or the Gigantic and Victo- 

 ria to six. In autumn remove the de- 

 cayed leaves, and point in a little well 



slopingly, you have only to dig up the 1 putrefied stable-dung, and earth up the 



plant and place it upright. 



stools. In the spring hoe the bed, and 



Green-house Culture. — Whilst grow- i as the stalks when blanched, are much 

 ing, that is from about the end of April less harsh in taste, require less sugar to 

 to the middle of June, keep them in a , be rendered palatable, and are greatly 

 temperature of which the extreme at ' 

 night and in the day are 45^ and GQo. 

 Supply them liberally with water during : 

 that time, and then remove them to a 

 cool situation out of doors, otherwise 

 they will be super-luxuriant and not 

 flower. t 



improved in appearance, dig a trench 

 between the rows, and the earth from 

 it place about a foot thick over the stool. 

 This covering must be removed when 

 the cutting ceases, and the plants allow- 

 ed to grow at liberty. As the earth in 

 wet seasons is apt to induce decay, the 



Forcing. — To obtain early flowers, covering may be advantageously formed 

 place some potted plants in a very gen- of coal ashes or drift sand. 



tie heat the last week in December. 



To obtain Seed. — Those plants pro- 



RHUBARB. Rheum rhaponticum, R.\ dvicc the seed in greatest perfection 

 hybridum, R. undulatum, and R. palma- I that are not gathered from, but on no 



turn. This last is the medicinal 

 Turkey Rhubarb of the shops — the es- 

 culent one or pie-plant, as it is familiar- 

 ly termed, has become quite a common 

 inmate of our American gardens; its 

 early growth, affording facility for pies 

 and tarts, long before green fruit can be 



account must they be subjected to the 

 process of blanching. Two year old 

 plants often produce seed, but in their 

 third yearalways. It must be gathered as 

 soon as ripe, and great care taken that 

 none is scattered over the beds, for the 

 plants thence produced often spring up. 



obtained, and its close resemblance in and greatly injure the old plants by 



flavour to the gooseberry, render it al 

 most indispensable 



growing unobserved amongst them. 

 Forcing. — Plant a single row three 



Varieties. — There are several varie- ■ feet apart in ground that has been 

 ties, of which the most preferable are trenched two spades deep, and dressed 



