RHUBARB 



744 



RHUS 



Champion, Hawke's Champagne, Dawes' Challenge, The 

 Sutton, and Bucks, or Elford. 



The Soil best suited to it is light, rich, deep, unshaded, 

 and moderately moist. 



Sowing, It may be propagated by divisions, but 

 occasionally by seed. Sow soon after it is ripe, in Sep- 

 tember or October, in drills 3 feet apart, and an inch 

 deep, the plants to remain where raised ; for although 

 they will bear removing, yet it always checks and some- 

 what lessens their growth. When they make their ap- 

 pearance in the spring, thin to 6 or 8 inches asunder, and 

 let the surface of the ground about them be loosened with 

 the hoc. At the close of summer, when it can be deter- 

 mined which are the strongest plants, finally thin to 

 4 feet, or the Gigantic and Victoria to 6. Break down 

 the flower-stems as often as they are produced. In 

 autumn remove the decayed leaves, and point in a little 

 well-putrefied stable-dung, and earth up the stools. In 

 the spring, hoe the bed, and as the stalks when blanched 

 are much more delicate in taste, require less sugar to be 

 rendered palatable, and are greatly improved in appear- 

 ance, 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 

 allowed to grow at liberty. As the earth in wet seasons 

 is apt to induce decay, the covering may be advantage- 

 ously formed of coal-ashes or drift-sand. Chimney-pots 

 and butter-firkins make good coverings for blanching. 

 Sea-kale pots, with lids, are very handy, because the stalks 

 may be pulled without removing the blanching material. 



To obtain Seed. Two-year-old plants often produce 

 seed, but in their third year always. 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, and greatly injure the old plants by growing 

 unobserved amongst them. 



Forcing. Plant a single row 3 feet apart in ground 

 that has been trenched two spades deep, and dressed 

 with well-putrefied dung at the time. The forcing may 

 commence in December ; 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. A 

 frame is much less objectionable, formed by driving 

 stakes into the ground on each side of the bed, alter- 

 nating with the plants. These are to be 3 feet high 

 above ground, and the space between the two rows of 

 stakes 2 feet at the bottom, but approaching each other, 

 and fastened by cross-pieces, so as to be only 15 inches 

 apart at top. To the sides and top stout lathes are 

 fixed, forming a sort of cage, to prevent the dung 

 falling upon the plants. 



The dung may be either fresh, or that which has already 

 undergone fermentation, placed all round the frame 

 1 8 inches thick, and the top covered with long litter. 

 The temperature 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 correct it. 



Rhubarb may be forced without either pots or frame, 

 by merely covering the plants 6 inches deep with light 

 litter, care being taken that the plants are not injured. 

 Where a properly constructed, dark, artificially heated 

 forcing-house exists, all that is necessary is to lift the 

 roots and plant them in leaf-mould or any light soil, in 

 this. 



Mr. Knight's mode of forcing is to place in the winter 

 as many plants as necessary in large, deep pots, each pot 

 receiving as many as it can contain, and the interstices 

 entirely filled up by fine, sandy loam, washed in. The 

 tops of the roots are placed on a level with each other, 

 and about an inch below the surface. These being 

 covered with inverted pots of the same size, may be 

 placed in a vinery or hotbed, and on the approach of 

 spring, any time after January, any room or cellar will 

 be sufficiently warm. If copiously supplied with water, 

 the plants vegetate rapidly and vigorously, and each 

 pot will produce three successional cuttings, the first two 

 being the most plentiful. As soon as the. third is gathered, 

 the roots may be changed, and those removed replanted 

 in the ground, when they will attain sufficient strength to 

 be forced again in a year's time. If not, it is of little 

 consequence, for year-old roots raised from cuttings, or 

 even seed sown in autumn, are sufficiently strong for use. 



Propagation by Division. Mr. Rogers, a successful 

 cultivator, says, that when the rhubarb is propagated 

 by the root, care must be taken to retain a bud on the 



crown of each offset, together with a small portion of the 

 root itself, with, if possible, some fibres attached 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 

 seedlings. 



RHU'S. Sumach. (From Rhous, the Greek name of 

 the genus. Nat. ord. Anacards [Anacardiacese]. Linn. 

 5-Pentandria, ^-Trigynia.) 



Hardy deciduous trees and shrubs, except where other- 

 wise stated. By seeds, layers, and cuttings of roots and 

 shoots ; light, fibrous loam. 

 R. n'lbida (whitish). 6. Green, yellow. N. Africa; 



Syria. 1823. 



Ame'la (Amela). See R. SEMIALATA. 

 ,, aroma'tica (aromatic). See R. CANADENSIS. 

 atoma'ria (speckled). See R. VILLOSA. 

 Bu'cki- Ame'la (Bucki-Amela). See R. SEMIALATA. 

 canade'nsis (Canadian). 8. Yellow. May. N. Amer. 



1773- 



triloba'ta (three-lobed). 



carolinia'na (Carolinian). See R. GLABRA COCCINEA. 

 cau'stica (caustic). See LITHR.CA VENENOSA. 

 ,, chine'nsis (Chinese). See R. SEMIALATA. 

 cocci'nea (scarlet). See R. GLABRA COCCINEA. 

 copall'ina (gum-copal). 6. Green, yellow. August. 



N. Amer. 1688. 

 exte'nsa (extended). Fruits shining red. New 



Jersey. 1907. 

 leuca'ntha (white-flowered). 4. Whitish. August. 



N. Amer. 

 Coria'ria (Coriaria-leaved). 10. Green, yellow. July. 



Mediterranean region. 1640. 

 cotinoi'des (Cotinus-like). 5-10. Green. May, June. 



S. United States. " Chittam Wood." 

 Co'tinus (wild-olive). 6. Pale purple. June. S. 



Europe. 1656. " Smoke Plant." 

 atropurpu'rea (dark-purple). Hairs on fruit-stalks 



becoming purple. " Purple Smoke Plant." 

 pe'ndula (drooping). Branches drooping. 1885. 

 cuneifo'lia (wedge-leaved). S. Africa. Greenhouse. 

 diversifo'lia (various-leaved). See R. TOXICODEN- 



DRON. 



diversi'loba (various-lobed). See R. TOXICODENDROK. 

 ,, e'legans (elegant). See R. GLABRA COCCINEA. 

 exci'sa (cut-out). S. Africa. Greenhouse. 

 gla'bra (smooth). 8. Green, yellow. August. N. 



Amer. 1726. 



cocci'nea (scarlet). 10. Red. June. N. Amer. 1726. 

 dioi'ca (dioecious). 8. Greenish. July. N. Amer. 

 lacinia'ta (deeply-cut). Leaves twice deeply 



divided, red in autumn. 

 insi'gnis (remarkable). Himalaya. 

 ,, java'nica (Javanese). See R. SEMIALATA. 

 juglandifo'lia ( J uglans-leaved) of Wallich. See R. 



WALLICHII. 



Iczviga'ta (smooth). S. Africa. Greenhouse. 

 ,, lu'cida (shining) of Aiton. See R. MUCRONATA. 

 ,, lu'cida (shining) of Linnaeus. 3-6. White. July. 



S. Africa. 1697. Greenhouse. 

 Michau'xii (Michaux's). . 2-3. Fruit bright scarlet. 



S. United States. 1895. 

 mucrona'ta (small-pointed). S. Africa. 

 myria'ntha (myriad-flowered). Country unknown. 

 Osbe'ckii (Osbeck's). 10-20. White. China and 



Japan. 1867. 



oxyaca'ntha (hawthorn-like). See R. ALBIDA. 

 pu'mila (dwarf . Poisonous), i. Green, yellow. July. 



N. Amer. 1806. 



,, punjabe'nsis (Punjab). Himalaya. 

 ,, Rctdcelija'wel (Radselijawel). See CONN ARCS MONO- 

 CARPUS. 

 radi'cans (rooting). See R. TOXICODENDRON and 



varieties. 

 ,, rlwdanthe'ma (red-flowering). See RHODOSPH^.RA 



RHODANTHEMA. 



,, semiala'ta (half- winged). 10-40. White. August. 



Himalaya; China. 1799. 

 Osbe'ckii (Osbeck's). See R. OSBECKII. 

 purpu'rea (purple). Young leaves reddish-green. 



Central China. 1907. 

 Simo'nii (Simon's). China. 1866. 

 si'nica (Chinese). Flowers small, in large panicles. 



China. 1908. 



