Culture of the Pie Plant. 445 



many persons is greatly preferred in wholesomeness and flavor. 

 This excellent vegetable has been much cultivated in the vicini- 

 ties of large cities, in most countries, where it has always found 

 a steady and ready demand, as a market vegetable, and in private 

 gardens it is always the first consideration. 



Culture and management. — The rhubarb is of easy culture, 

 and very hardy, which renders it peculiarly adapted to this cli- 

 mate. It may be propagated either by seed or cuttings. The 

 seed may be sown early in the spring, on a west border, in drills, 

 eighteen inches apart, and managed in the usual way of culture: 

 the plants will be of a sufficient size to remove into a stationary 

 bed, in the month of October, which is the best time for planting 

 rhubarb. The method I have generally followed, and found to 

 answer best, in making new plantations, is, by dividing the old 

 roots or crowns, in such a manner that each set has one or more 

 eyes. These sets I plant in nursery rows, two feet apart, and 

 one foot from each other in the rows, in the spring, and remove 

 them into their stationary bed in the fall. 



Preparing and planting. — The ground intended should be 

 well prepared by manuring and trenching, as the rhubarb re- 

 quires deep rich soil; this done, the bed may be divided into 

 rows four feet apart each way, and at the angles the soil may 

 be taken out to the depth of eighteen inches, into which may be 

 planted one large root entire, which is to be covered with at least 

 half of a wheelbarrow of well rotted manure, when the surface 

 may be levelled. The after management of rhubarb requires 

 good culture, as manuring, keeping clean, &c. If the plants are 

 sHghtly protected, in the fall, with a quanity of manure, they will 

 be benefited, and will come forward earlier in the spring; the 

 manure will also strengthen their roots. 



The routine planting of the rhubarb should be every three 

 years, as young plants always produce the most tender stalks or 

 canes. The method I have adopted, is, to take up one third of 

 my bed every year, by which I always keep up a good succes- 

 sion of young plants. Yours, 



Edward Savers. 



Mwark, JS\ J., 1836. 



