MARCH.] THE KITCHEN-GARDEN. 



some of their finer parts dissipated thereby ; but culinary heat is free 

 from that objection, and at the same time possesses all the advantages 

 of quick drying. The drying of the roots, without suffering them to 

 get mouldy, must be carefully attended to, as a neglect in this point, 

 would render all your former industry fruitless, and it is considered 

 among the cultivators as a difficult task. 



The marks of the goodness of rhubarb are, the liveliness of its 

 colour when cut ; its being firm and solid, but not flinty or hard ; its 

 being easily pulverable, and appearing when powdered of a bright 

 yellow colour ; on being chewed, its imparting to the spittle, a deep 

 saffron tinge, and not proving slimy or mucilaginous in the mouth. 



The true officinal or palmated rhubarb, has numerous root-leaves, 

 large, rough, of a roundish figure, deeply cut into lobes and irregu- 

 larly pointed segments ; on long, smooth, round foot-stalks. Stem- 

 leaves, one at each joint, issuing from a membranaceous sheath, suc- 

 cessively smaller upwards. Flowers surrounding the branches in 

 numerous clusters, and forming a kind of spike. Corolla or flowers, 

 of a greenish white 



This species cannot be mistaken, if you attend to its superior 

 height, the ferruginous or reddishbrown colour of the stem branches, 

 and petioles or leaf-stalks, the particular palmate form of the leaves, 

 and the elegant looseness of the little pannicles of flowers which 

 display themselves on erect, round, hollow, jointed, slightly scored 

 stems, branching towards the top, and from six to eight feet high. 



The Rheum Rhajjionticum^ or Common Rhubarb. 



This has a large thick root, which divides into many strong fleshy 

 fangs, running deep in the ground ; the outside of a reddish brown 

 colour, and the inside yellow, from which arise several leaves in 

 number according to the size of the root ; those come up folded in 

 the spring, and afterwards expand themselves ; they are smooth, of 

 a roundish heart shape, having very thick foot-stalks of a reddish 

 colour, which are a little channeled on their lower part, but flat at 

 the top. When the plant grows on rich land, the foot-stalks of the 

 leaves are near two feet long, and thicker than a man's thumb; the 

 leaves also are often two feet long and as much in breadth, having 

 several strong longitudinal veins, running from the foot-stalk to the 

 borders, of a deep green, and waved on their edges, having an acid 

 taste, but particularly the foot-stalks, which are very frequently used, 

 and much esteemed for tarts and pies. The flower stalks grow, 

 from two to three feet high, and are terminated by thick close spikes 

 of white flowers. Its roots afford a gentle purge, but is of much 

 inferior quality to the former, and may be cultivated the same way 

 as directed for that. 



The Jerusalem Artichoke. 



e Reliant hus tuberosus, or tuberous rooted sun-flower, com- 

 ly called the Jerusalem artichoke, " this root," says Parkinson, 

 antieut English writer, " our ancestors boiled tender, and then 



