414 GARDENING FOR THE SOUTH. 



Culture. — It is raised from seed, which may be sowii in 

 August or September, aud requires the same treatment 

 as turnip. It likes a sandy soil, and if grown in too rich 

 earth, it loses its sweetness. In dry weather, the beds 

 must be watered regularly until the plants get three or 

 four leaves. To save seed see Turnip. 



Use. — It is much used in continental cookery, and 

 enriches all the French soups. Stewed in gravy, it forms 

 an excellent dish, and, being white and carrot-shaped 

 Avhen mixed with carrots upou a dish, it is very orna- 

 mental. In using, there will be no necessity of cutting 

 away the outer rind, in which the flavor chiefly resides. 

 Scraping will be quite sufficient. 



RHUBARB.— (Rheum.) 



The garden Rhubarb, or Pie-plant, is a perennial, of the 

 same natural family as the common dock. The varieties 

 now cultivated are hybrids, which have supplanted the 

 original species, Rheum Rhaponticum, palmatum, and 

 undulatum, excelling them in size, earliness, and delicacy 

 of flavor. The best sorts are the Early, which is of but 

 medium size; Myatt's Linnaeus, rather early, and yield- 

 ing large crops of large leaves, and the best flavored of 

 all, Myatt's Victoria, which is two weeks later; stalks 

 very large and good; St. Martin's, a new Scotch variety, 

 with a rich, spicy flavor. 



Rhubarb is remarkable for the quantity of phosphates 

 and soda it extracts from the earth. Crude soda might be 

 added to the soil. Guano and bone-dust are very benefi- 

 cial. 



Rhubarb succeeds best in a rich, deep, rather light 

 loam, and in a situation open to the air and light. Trench 

 the ground two spades deep. It may be raised from seed, 

 but thus grown, sports into new varieties. It is best pro- 

 pagated by dividing the roots, reserving a bud to each 



