48 GARDENING 



dividing the clumps, it is best to separate them into 

 single crowns. 



If seed is not required the flower-stems should 

 be cut off as soon as they appear. Rhubarb roots 

 are easily forced by placing pots or barrels over 

 the roots in the ground and surrounding them with 

 fermenting manure. 



Dancer's Early Victoria and Myatt's Victoria, 

 and Sutton's Reading Ruby are the best kinds, the 

 first and third for forcing and the second for main 

 crop ; also Hawkes' Champagne Red is excessively 

 good, as the flavour is rich and the juice very red. 



RECIPES 

 Rhubarb Fritters 



Cut and peel some sticks of rhubarb into pieces one inch 

 long. Make a batter with a quarter of a pound of flour, the 

 raw yolk of an ^gg^ two large tablespoonfuls of castor sugar, 

 a tablespoonful of oil, and the white of the ^^g whipped to a 

 stiff froth. Lay the pieces of rhubarb in a dish and strew 

 castor sugar over them, and moisten with a glass of brandy ; 

 let them soak for an hour ; then dip them in the frying batter 

 and fry in boiling lard till a nice colour. Serve very hot and 

 powdered with white sugar. 



Rhubarb Meringue Tart 



Line a tart tin with a nice light paste, and mark the 

 edge prettily, and bake a nice golden. Fill the centre with 

 rhubarb cut into inch strips and cooked in a good syrup 

 coloured with cochineal. Then make a meringue top with 

 the whipped white of two eggs and two ounces of castor 

 sugar, and place over the rhubarb and set in the oven for 

 one minute only. 



