228 Gardening 
Fic. 130. Rhubarb along the edge of a garden. The photograph shows the 
“barrel method” of covering the plants to make the stems longer and more 
tender. Every other barrel was removed before the picture was taken. 
No leaves should be pulled the first year after reset- 
ting. 
Roots for starting a bed may be obtained from seed 
houses or perhaps from a neighbor’s garden. The 
standard varieties known as Victoria and Linneus are 
the best sorts. 
Rhubarb may be grown from seed also. Sow the seed 
early in spring in rows 1 foot apart in a seed bed. Thin 
to about 6 inches apart in the row, and when the plants 
are a year old transplant them to a permanent bed. 
The outer leaves of the rhubarb are pulled for use as 
soon as they reach proper size. Break them off by a 
quick side twist and jerk. Later in the season allow 
plenty of the leaves to remain so that they may furnish 
