RHU 



504 



RIC 



with well putrefied dung at the time. 

 The forcing may commence in Decem- 

 ber ; first cover either with sea-kale or 

 common garden pots (twelves), but 

 chimney pots are still better, the leaf- 

 stalks becoming much longer and finer, 

 and envelope them with fermenting 

 dung. When well up, the pots are re- 

 moved, except when chimney pots are 

 used, and large hand-glasses substi- 

 tuted; covering is required every night, 

 and in dull weather with thick mats. 



the roots are placed on a level with 

 each other, and about an inch belowr 

 the surface. These being covered with 

 inverted pots of the same size, may be 

 placed in a vinery or hot-bed, and on 

 the approach of spring, probably any 

 time after January, any room or cellar 

 will be sufficiently warm. If copiously 

 supplied with water, the plants vege- 

 tate rapidly and vigorously, and each 

 pot will produce three successional 

 cuttings, the first two being the most 



By this mode the plants are very liable plentiful. As soon as the third is ga- 



to be broken, as their leaves soon touch thered, the roots may be changed, and 



the sides. A frame is much less objec- those removed replajited in the ground, 



tionable, formed by driving stakes into when they will attain sufficient strength 



the ground on each side of the bed, al- to be forced again in a year's time. If 



ternating with the plants. These are to not, it is of little consequence, foryear- 



be three feet high above ground, and the old roots raised from cuttings, or even 



space between the two rows of stakes 

 two feet at the bottom, but approach- 

 ing each other, and fastened by cross 

 pieces, so as to be only fifteen inches 

 apart at top. To the sides and top stout 

 laths are fixed to prevent the dung fall 



seed sown in autumn, are sufficiently 

 strong for use." 



Propagation by Division. — Mr. Ro- 

 gers, a successful cultivator, says, that 

 " when the rhubarb is propagated by 

 the root, care must be taken to retain a 



the accompanying sketch. 

 Fig, 147 



The dung may either be fresh, or 

 that which has previously undergone 

 fermentation, and placed all round the 

 frame eight or ten inches thick, and the 

 top covered with long litter. The tem- 

 perature in the interior should have a 

 range from .55° to 60". If it rises higher, 

 two or three large holes made through 

 the top soon corrects it. 



A frame renders hand-glasses or any 

 other coverunnccessary, requires much 



ng upon the plants, as represented in bud on the crown of each offset, toge- 

 ther with a small portion of the root 

 itself, with, if possible, some fibres at- 

 tached to it. These offsets may be taken 

 from roots of three or four years old, 

 without injury to the plant. They may 

 be planted where they are intended to 

 remain, at the same distance and in the 

 same manner as advised for the seed- 

 lings." 



Taking for Use. — " Scrape away a 

 little of the earth, then bend down the 

 stalk you wish to remove, and slip it 

 off from the crown without breaking it, 

 and without using a knife. The stalks 

 are fit to gather when the leaves are 

 but half expanded, but a larger produce 

 is obtained by letting them remain till 

 full grown." — Gard.and Pract. Flor. 



RHUS. Seventy-seven species. 

 Chiefly green-house evergreen shrubs^ 

 some hardy deciduous trees, shrubs, 

 and climbers, or creepers. The stove 



less attention, and produces plants of and green-house kinds increase by ripe 



excellent quality. Rhubarb may be cuttings, the hardy species by cuttings 



forced without either pots or frame, by and layers. Common soil suits them 



merely covering the plants six inches all. 



deep with light litter, care being taken 



that the plants are not injured. 



Mr. Knight's mode of forcing is to Cuttings. Common soil 



place " in the winter as many plants as | and Gooseberry 



necessary in large deep pots, each pot 



receiving as many as it can contain, and i house herbaceous perennial 



the interstices entirely filled up by fine t Light rich soil. 



eandy loam; washed in. The tops of I 



RIBES. Forty-four species and many 

 varieties. Hardy deciduous shrubs. 

 See Currant 



RICHARDIA {Bthiopica. Green- 

 Offsets, 



RICHJE A fragrans. Stove ever- 



