174 Culture and Forcing of Rhubarb. 



arises in the house, and settling on the grapes makes them appear 

 covered with dew, but in reality poisons them ; and is, no doubt, 

 when carried to excess, one main cause of the partial shanking 

 of the bunches. By giving air to the top lights early, this vapour 

 escapes, and the air in the interior of the house is purified, and 

 rendered fit to be inhaled by the vines. 



Gardeners who are too greedy prevent their grapes sometimes 

 from colouring, by overloading the vines with bunches. This is a 

 creat error. A vine with its clusters of grapes may be com- 

 pared to a sow with a large farrow of young pigs ; if too many 

 are left to draw her nutriment, they all suffer. To give plenty 

 of water, more especially in dry weather, when grapes are swell- 

 ing off, may be considered good practice, as the vine is a plant 

 which will not only " drink deep," but " again and yet again." 



If these remarks, drawn from a long experience, be published 

 in your Magazine, they may possibly elicit some of a more va- 

 luable kind from others of your correspondents, who are more 

 favourably situated for observation than " A Gardener out of 

 Place." 



Camberwell, Jan. 25. 1841. 



Art. XIII. On the Culture and Forcing of Rhubarb. 

 By R. A. Wilson. 



I BEG leave to lay before you the following remarks on the cul- 

 ture and forcing of rhubarb, it being an article in much demand 

 in the winter and early spring months, when gooseberries, &c. 

 cannot be obtained unless in a preserved state ; and few vege- 

 tables are more improved by being blanched than rhubarb, inde- 

 pendently of its medicinal properties, which, I may say, render it 

 beneficial to the majority of constitutions ; but, putting that 

 out of the question, there are few persons indeed who do not 

 admire it in the shape of a tart in the early part of the spring. 

 But it is unnecessary to enlarge on the merits of a vegetable so 

 generally known ; suffice it to say, that, possessing such merits 

 as it does, it is not surprising that so many methods are tried 

 to grow and force it to perfection, and to lengthen its season to 

 the utmost extent; and there are few vegetables that the gardener 

 has been more successful with than the article before us. Never- 

 theless there are many instances where the forcing of rhubarb 

 is very improperly managed, when neither materials nor conve- 

 niency are wanting, such as plenty of spare litter, &c. &c. ; yet 

 how frequently do we see rhubarb roots taken up and stored 

 in cellars or back sheds, and forced in pots, as recommended 

 by Mr. Knight, when such exuberant forcing agency is at hand, 

 by the aid of which it might be forced in a superior manner. 

 Rhubarb is found to succeed pretty well in most garden soils ; 



