RHO 



C 776 ] 



EHU 



-R. Fu'rrcrtK (Mrs. Farrer's). 3. Lilac. March. 

 China. 1829. 



ferrugi'neum (rusty- leaved}. l. Scarlet. 



June. Switzerland. 1752. 



a'lbum (white). 1. White. 



June. Pyrenees. 1830. 



hy'bridum (Herbert's-hybrid). Pink. July. 



hirsu'tum (hairy-leaved). l. Scarlet. June. 



Switzerland. 1656. 

 variega'tum (variegated-teawed). 



1. Scarlet. June. 1800. 

 fta'vum (yellow). Yellowish. 



All season. Java. 1847. 



ma'zimum (largest). 20. Pink. July. North 



America. 1756. 

 a'lbum (white). 15. White. July. 



po'nticum (Pontic). 12. Purple. May. 



Gibraltar. 1763. 

 myrtifo'lium (Myrtle - leaved) . 



12. Purple. May. Gibraltar. 1/63. 

 ~" obtu'sum (blunt - leaved), 4. 



Purple. May. Armenia. 

 odora'tum (sweet - scented). 3. 



Pink. July. 1820. 



puncta'tum (dotteA-leaved). 4. Pink. July. 



North America. 1786. 



~ ma'jus (larger). 6. Pink. July. 



purpu'reum (purple). 25. Purple. July. 



North America. 



Pu'rshii (Pursh's). White. July. Jersey. 



1811. 



rhodo'ra (red-flowered). Red, purple. May. 



North America. 1767. 



RHODOSTO'MA. (From rhodon, arose, 

 and stoma, a mouth ; the opening of 

 the tube of corolla. Nat. ord., (7m- 

 clwnads [Cinchonacesej. Linn., 5-Pcnt- 

 andria l-Monogynia. Allied to Gar- 

 denia.) 



Stove evergreen shrubs. Cuttings of the 

 young shoots, in sand, under a bell-glass, and 

 in bottom-heat ; sandy, fibry loam, and fibry 

 peat. Winter temp., 48 to 60 ; summer, 6o' 

 to 85. 



R. gardenoi'des (Gardenia-like). White. April. 

 1845. 



EHOPA'LA. See Ropa'la. 



RHUBARB, Rhe'um rhapo'nticum, R. 

 hy'bridum, R. imdula'tum, and R. pal- 

 ma'tum. 



Varieties. There are several varie- 

 ties, of which the most preferable are 

 the Tobolsk, Gigantic, Victoria (best), 

 and Bucks or Elford. 



The soil best suited to it is light, rich, 

 deep, unshaded, and moderately moist. 



Sowing. It may be propagated by 

 cuttings, but usually by seed. Sow 

 soon after it is ripe, in September or 

 October, in drills three feet apart, and 

 an inch deep, the plants to remain 

 where raised; for although they will 

 bear removing, yet it always checks and 

 somewhat lessens their growth. When 



they make thoir appearance in the 

 spring, thin to six or eight inches asun- 

 der, and let the surface of the ground 

 about them be loosened with the hoe. 

 At the close of summer, when it can be 

 determined which are the strongest 

 plants, finally thin to four feet, or the. 

 Gigantic and Victoria to six. Break 

 clown the flower-stems as often as they 

 are produced. In autumn remove the 

 decayed leaves, and point in a little 

 well -putrefied stable-dung, and earth - 

 up the stools. In the spring, hoe the 

 bed, and as the stalks when blanched 

 are much more delicate in taste, require 

 less sugar to be rendered palatable, 

 and are greatly improved in appear- 

 ance, dig a trench between the rows, 

 and the earth from it place about a foot 

 thick over the stool. This covering 

 must be removed when the cutting 

 ceases, and the plants allowed to grow 

 at liberty. As the earth in wet seasons 

 is apt to induce decay, the covering 

 may be advantageously formed of coal- 

 ashes or drift-sand. Chimney-pots and 

 butter-firkins make good coverings for 

 blanching. 



To obtain Seed. Two-year-old plants 

 often produce seed, but in their third 

 year always. It must be gathered as 

 soon as ripe, and great care taken that 

 none is scattered over the beds, for tin- 

 plants thence produced often spring 

 up, and greatly injure the old plants 

 by growing unobserved amongst them. 



Forcing. Plant a single row three 

 feet apart in ground that has been 

 trenched two spades deep, and dressed 

 with well-putrefied dung at the time. 

 The forcing may commence in Decem- 

 ber ; first cover either with sea-kale or 

 common garden-pots (twelves), but 

 chimney-pots are still better, the leaf- 

 stalks becoming much longer and finer, 

 and envelope them with fermenting 

 dung. A frame is much less objection- 

 able, formed by driving stakes into the 

 ground on each side of the bed, alter- 

 nating with the plants. These are to 

 be three feet high above ground, and 

 the space between the two rows of 

 stakes two feet at the bottom, but ap- 

 proaching each other, and fastened by 

 cross pieces, so as to be only fifteen 

 inches apart at top. To the sides and 



