84 PREPARING THE RHUBARB. 



might be reopened by a well-equipped caravan pro- 

 vided with an escort of ten well-armed men. 



The first process in preparing the rhubarb is to 

 cut off the lateral offshoots, removinof the outer rind 

 with a knife, and cutting the root into pieces, which 

 are threaded on strings and suspended in the shade 

 to dry, generally under the roof of a house, where 

 the air circulates freely : if dried in the sun it is 

 spoiled. 



The plant grows at an elevation of ic,ooo feet 

 above the level of the sea, very rarely above that 

 limit, and mostly preferring the ravines, with a rich 

 loamy soil and northern aspect. It seldom grows 

 on the southern slopes or on the bare mountain. 



The Tangutans sometimes sow it in the gardens 

 adjoining their dwellings, propagating it by means 

 of seeds and young plants. It may be sown in 

 autumn or early spring, but the soil must be fine, 

 carefully sifted black mould. The third year after 

 sowing the root is about the thickness of a man's 

 fist, and in about eight or ten years it attains matu- 

 rity. It is sown by the natives in small quantities 

 as a medicine for themselves and their cattle. It is 

 not cultivated largely, probably owing to the abund- 

 ance of the wild plant. I feel certain that it might be 

 successfully cultivated in many parts of Russia, as 

 for instance on the Amur, the Baikal, the Oural, and 

 the Caucasus ; and experiments will probably be 

 made with the seeds I brought home and sent to the 

 Botanical Gardens. 



It also (jfows in the mountains south of Lake 



