RHUBARB. 



423 



RIBBON-PLANTING. 



exclude the light, as there is no advantage 

 in blanching it. Rhubarb may be planted 

 at any time of the year, although mild 

 weather in autumn or early spring is best ; 



RHUBARB, SHOWING HABIT OF PLANT. 



it should be planted on a clear open spot | 

 on good soil, which should be well trenched 

 3 feet deep. The plants should be not 

 less than 4 feet apart ; or, where it is j 

 intended to take up some every year for 

 forcing, a distance of 3 feet will be suffi- 

 cient. Before planting, a good substance 

 of very rotten manure should be worked 

 into the soil. When the plants are to be 

 increased, it is merely necessary to take up 

 large roots and divide them with a spade : 

 every piece that has a crown to it will grow ; 

 and as it grows very quickly, this is a good 

 method of propagating it. To insure fine 

 rhubarb, a large dressing of well-rotted 

 manure should be dug in about the roots, J 

 as soon as you have finished pulling the ! 

 leaves. It is not right to wait till the I 

 winter before the plants are dressed. 



It will be useful to name the following i 

 varieties here, although it is de facto a 

 vegetable : 



Ribbon-planting. 



The ribbon style in border-planting is 

 very effective. As an illustration of it take 

 the following arrangement : Supposing there 

 be room for five or six rows, each row a 

 foot or 18 inches wide a double row of 

 Lobelia speciosa next the edging, followed 

 by a row of verbenas any white sort ; 

 these, again, followed by Calceolaria aurea, 

 this by Tom Thumb, or some similar dwai f 

 scarlet geranium. If there be rooni for 

 more rows, the above may be followed by 

 Salvia patens (blue), Coreopsis lanceolata 

 (yellow), a row of white phlox, and a back 

 row of dahlias. These should graduate in 

 height and colour. This is merely given as 

 a sample of what may be done. There are 

 many plants that may be used in the same 

 way, as IC&nigia variegata, isotomas, Phlox 

 Drumniondii) which are all dwarf, and 

 suitable for front row; petunias, heliotropes, 

 lantanas, c. , might form a second ; ager- 



LEAF-STALKS OF RHUBARB. 



atums, galardias, salvias, a third. Again, 

 Attrabiiis, or Marvel of Peru, still taller ; 

 and then dahlias and hollyhocks, tallest 



