RHUBARB. 1 97 



more or less call for them all summer. The seed stalks should 

 be cut off as soon as they appear, so as to throw their strength 

 into the leaves and to prevent the formation of seed, if the 

 largest amount of stalks is needed. 



Forcing Rhubarb. For winter and spring use rhubarb is 

 often forced in greenhouses and cold frames. The roots of 

 any age are taken up in autumn, crowded together under the 

 benches in greenhouses or placed in boxes or barrels with a 

 little soil between them, and put in any convenient place in 

 the greenhouse or a warm light room or cellar where they 

 start into growth by February. Still another way of forcing- 

 rhubarb in the spring is by putting a cold frame over the 



Fig. 107.— Pieces of rhubarb roots cut off for planting out. 

 plants where they grow in the open ground. This method may 

 be improved by heavily mulching the plants so as to keep out 

 the frost in winter. The roots are sometimes lifted in autumn, 

 planted close together in a deep cold frame and covered with 

 leaves to keep out frost. In March the leaves are removed, 

 and the sashes put on. This method has the advantage of 

 using the sashes to the best advantage, but roots that are dug 

 and then forced are worthless for further planting. In order 

 to increase the length of the stalks, it is a common practice 

 where but a small amount is grown to put headless barrels 

 over each plant in the spring when the leaves are starting into 

 growth, and in striving to reach the liofht the leaf stalks 



