RHUBARB 89 



over with pots and warm litter is good, as it gives 

 better flavoured stalks than from lifted roots forced in 

 strong heat. 



I have referred to seedlings and their value, and we 

 raise plants every year for forcing in this way. The 

 seed is sown in April each year, and the very early 

 kinds are selected, but the well-known Champagne 

 comes true from seed. The seed is sown in land 

 well manured and the surface made fine, in drills 2 

 feet apart. Sow very thinly, and when large enough 

 thin to 12 inches apart. The next season every 

 other root may be removed and planted in good land, 

 given more space, or the whole may be taken up and 

 transplanted, and will then make good forcing plants 

 the next autumn. If not intended to force, the first plan 

 is good, but in all cases there must be room allowed 

 for the plant to develop. 



For forcing purposes we usually use the Early Scarlet, 

 or Royal Albert. Myatt's Linnaeus is an excellent 

 variety, as also is the Paragon ; the latter is large and 

 very prolific, and for general purposes the well-known 

 Victoria is an excellent variety. I have referred to the 

 Sutton; this may be classed as a superior form of 

 Victoria, earlier than that variety, with a bright red 

 stalk, the colour of which is well retained after the 

 cooking ; the stalks are large and of splendid quality. 



Recently there has been a small form of Rhubarb 

 introduced from the Colonies, and this differs from 

 ours in that it starts so early into growth in the autumn 

 that *it requires no forcing whatever, but to prevent 

 damage by frost it needs cover of some kind. It is sent 

 out by several firms ; it is also grown in the United 

 States, so that it will soon become well known. 

 Another new Rhubarb is Daw's Champion, a very 

 early and good form, a grand forcer. It will be seen 

 that there is a wide selection of really good kinds. 



