CULTURAL DIRECTIONS 419 



581. Fertilizing. Decayed stable manures may be 

 used in large amounts, but fresh manures should never 

 be employed immediately before planting. A fertilizer 

 carrying 4 per cent nitrogen, 8 per cent phosphoric acid 

 and 10 per cent potash, applied at the rate of half a ton 

 or more to the acre, should produce excellent results if 

 other conditions are favorable. 



582. Marketing. Radishes are bunched (Figure 97) 

 for market, the number in a bunch varying from 3 to 10. 

 It is important to grade them. Grading, however, is 

 generally neglected. 



RHUBARB (Rheum Rhaponticum) 



583. History and importance. Rhubarb is indigenous 

 to eastern Asia. It belongs to the buckwheat family, 

 Polygonacese, and is a highly popular herbaceous peren- 

 nial vegetable, being grown in nearly all home gardens. 

 It constitutes an important crop on many commercial 

 plantations. The succulent stems are used for sauce and 

 pies. 



584. Climatic requirements. The roots are hardy. 

 Although fall mulching is often practiced, it is unneces- 

 sary so far as root protection is concerned, whatever 

 value it may have for other purposes. 



585. Soil. Deep, rich, sandy loams provide ideal con- 

 ditions for rhubarb which, however, may be grown suc- 

 cessfully on all types of soil put in the proper condition. 

 The large leaves and succulent stems require an enor- 

 mous amount of soil moisture, so that irrigation is espe- 

 cially valuable for this crop. The earliest marketings 

 command the best prices. Warm soils sloping to the 

 south are desirable when earliness is the chief considera- 

 tion. 



586. Propagation. The plants are readily propagated 

 from seed sown under glass or in the open, but as only 



