THE PIE PLANT. 149 



ART, 5. On the Culture, of the Pie Plant. 



The pie plant or Rheum rhaponticum is one of the 

 test substitutes we have at an early season for green 

 tarts ; its flavor when cooked is a pleasant acid, 

 and partakes of that of the green apple and goose- 

 berry. The manner of cooking it is simple and 

 most generally done by taking the green stalks and 

 cutting them into srnall square pieces, putting it into 

 crust and baking as an apple tart ; or it will make 

 an excellent pudding by using it in the same way as 

 the apple. Many persons also use the pie plant as a 

 sauce, and stew the stalks after being cut into small 

 pieces precisely the same as the apple. 



Culture. The pie plant is increased by seed and 

 cuttings ; the latter is the best and most successful 

 way. The seed may be sown early in the spring 

 on a rich, deep piece of ground in drills three feet 

 apart : it is essentially necessary that the ground be 

 made ,rich in order to grow the plants in a strong, 

 healthy state the first y.aar for planting. The cut- 

 tings are increased by dividing the crown of an old 

 plant into small pieces, each having a bud or an eye 

 to it. These cuttings are to be planted in rows 

 two feet apart the same as the seed. 



Planting out the bed for fruiting The rhubarb 

 requires a rich, deep soil in order to grow the young 

 stalks crisp and luxuriant. Therefore prepare the 

 bed by manuring the ground well with a good coat 

 of manure, and dig it in a good depth. This done, 

 level the surface, and mark out the ground in rows 

 four feet apart ; in the angle of each take out two 

 or three shovels full of soil, and place therein 



