242 LUTHER BURBANK 



Another way to propagate the plant, if you 

 do not wish to injure the old plantation, is to 

 dig away the earth round the plant and cut out 

 little V-shaped pieces of the roots, one or two 

 inches long, with a sharp knife, including a bud. 

 Each of these pieces will make a big plant in 

 the course of the year, and the old plant will pro- 

 duce larger stalks, though in somewhat reduced 

 number, as the result of this treatment. 



In this way a plantation of the Giant Winter 

 Rhubarb may be extended indefinitely without 

 injury to the old crop. 



Of course, the new plants grown thus from 

 pieces of root will reproduce absolutely the 

 qualities of the original plant. 



If an attempt is made to extend the planta- 

 tion by sowing seed, a good deal of variation 

 must be expected, as this plant, like so many 

 other cultivated ones, is not fixed for reproduc- 

 tion from seed. In the matter of winter bear- 

 ing, however, all the seedlings will reproduce 

 the qualities of the parents. The seedlings 

 may vary in size, quality, form of leaves, 

 and somewhat as to color of stalks, and 

 various minor points; but never in the matter 

 of winter bearing. 



They will reach their time of fullest produc- 

 tivity in early midwinter, two or three months 



