RHUBARB i8s 



slight twist sideways. In cutting off the leaves, an 

 inch or so of the " toe " should be left on the stalk. 

 It keeps better in that way. 



Do not throw the leaves down in a pile to rot ; 

 they breed thousands of flies. They are relished 

 by poultry, and some should be thrown to the hens. 

 The rest should be returned to the patch, scattered 

 among the hills, as soon as they wilt. 



Importance of Shade for Stalks. — Never pull so 

 many stalks from one hill that you leave it bare. 

 Always have enough leaves to shade it, as this en- 

 courages the others to shoot up into the sunlight 

 above them, making them twice as long as they 

 would otherwise be, greatly improving the quality 

 by the rapid growth, and deepening the color. 

 Stalks grown on the edges of the hill will frequently 

 be pale green, short, and tough, while those in 

 the center are bright red, long, and crisp. 



Rhubarb may be pulled at any time during the 

 summer when needed, if care is taken to leave 

 enough always to form a complete shade over the 

 patch. As the season advances, the stalks come more 

 slowly, and not a great deal can be pulled at one 

 time. 



As the white blossoms appear, cut them off. 

 These should never be allowed to ripen at any part 

 of the season, for they greatly weaken the roots. 



Fall Care. — In the fall, put several forkfuls of 

 dressing about each hill ; also put garden trash, such 



