40 NEW ZEALAND GARDENING. 



Thin out as they make their appearance the following Spring 

 to the required distances. Rhubarb may be forced by 

 driving stakes into the ground, say three or four feet round 

 each plant, inclining together at the top ; surround these 

 with stable litter, leaving the top open. Chimney pots, 

 cement casks, or boxes with the bottoms knocked out, will 

 also answer for forcing purposes. Rhubarb may be forced 

 without either pots or frames, by merely covering the 

 plants six or eight inches deep with light litter, care being 

 taken that the plants are not injured. Flower stems should 

 be broken down as they appear. Continue pulling the 

 leaves for use as required till November, after which they 

 should not be touched. The more they are stripped after 

 this date, the less productive they will be next year. In 

 Autumn, remove the decayed leaves and cover up with light, 

 rich manure. 



Propagation by Division. When rhubarb is propagated 

 by division of the root, care must be taken to retain a bud 

 on the crown of each piece, together with a small portion 

 of the root itself, with, if possible, some fibres attached to 

 it. Rhubarb is benefited by being taken up when old, and 

 the large stools cut in pieces, with a bud on each, and these 

 planted where they are intended to remain, at the same 

 distance as indicated above. In dry weather a good soaking 

 of water or liquid manure will be of great service. Four 

 ounces of superphosphate to three gallons of water is a good 

 dressing, equally suitable for all kinds of vegetables. 



Sea-Kale delights in deep, rich soil. It may be raised 

 from seed sown in September ; in drills three feet apart, and 

 finally thinning the plants to two feet apart in the rows. Liquid 

 manure applied once a week to the growing plants, will 

 improve its growth very much. The better plan is to 

 purchase one-year old plants, and plant them three in a 

 clump, three feet clump from clump, and eighteen inches 

 plant from plant; or they may be planted in rows singly, 

 similar to rhubarb. Those who have but few plants, and have 

 not a convenience for either forwarding by the use of pots or 

 fermenting materials, may produce excellently blanched 

 Sea-Kale in the Spring months by covering the crowns with 

 light friable earth, fine cinder ashes, old tan, or leaf-mould, 



