120 CULTIVATED VEGETABLES. 



tal in many situations in pleasure-grounds ; 

 its luxuriant foliage, and tall elegant spikes 

 and flowers, contrasting so singularly with 

 most of our native plants. 



Michael Boyn says, in his work entitled 

 Flora Sinensis*, rhubarb is a native of all 

 China, but is found most abundantly in the 

 province of Su-Civen, Xeu-Sy, and of Sociew, 

 which is a town near the Chinese wall, and 

 bordering on Tartary, where the earth is of a 

 red slimy nature. 



We have some curious particulars relating 

 to the culture of rhubarb in Mr. Bell's Tra- 

 vels, who tells us that the best rhubarb grows 

 in that part of Eastern Tartary called Mon- 

 galia, which now serves as a boundary be- 

 tween Russia and China. He informs us 

 that the marmots, a small kind of monkey, 

 contribute greatly to the culture of the rhu- 

 barb ; for wherever you see ten or twenty 

 plants growing, you are sure of finding several 

 burrows under the shade of the broad-spread- 

 ing leaves of this plant : perhaps they some- 

 times eat the leaves and roots ; however, it 

 seems pretty certain that the manure they 

 leave about the roots contributes not a little 

 to its increase, and their casting up the earth 

 makes it shoot out young buds, and multiply. 



* Vienna, 1656. 



