CULTURAL DIRECTIONS 4IO 



581. Fertilizing. — Decayed stable manures may be 

 used in large amounts, but fresh manures should never 

 be employed immediately before planting. A fertilizer 

 carrying 4 per cent nitrogen, 8 per cent phosphoric acid 

 and 10 per cent potash, applied at the rate of half a ton 

 or more to the acre, should produce excellent results if 

 other conditions are favorable. 



582. Marketing. — Radishes are bunched (Figure 97) 

 for market, the number in a bunch varying from 3 to 10. 

 It is important to grade them. Grading, however, is 

 generally neglected. 



RHUBARB (Rheum Rhapontkum) 



583. History aiid importance. — Rhubarb is indigenous 

 to eastern Asia. It belongs to the buckwheat family, 

 Polygonaceas, and is a highly popular herbaceous peren- 

 nial vegetable, being grown in nearly all home gardens. 

 It constitutes an important crop on many commercial 

 plantations. The succulent stems are used for sauce and 

 pies. 



584. Climatic requirements. — The roots are hardy. 

 Although fall mulching is often practiced, it is unneces- 

 sary so far as root protection is concerned, whatever 

 value it may have for other purposes. 



585. Soil. — Deep, rich, sandy loams provide ideal con- 

 ditions for rhubarb which, however, may be grown suc- 

 cessfully on all types of soil put in the proper condition. 

 The large leaves and succulent stems require an enor- 

 mous amount of soil moisture, so that irrigation is espe- 

 cially valuable for this crop. The earliest marketings 

 command the best prices. Warm soils sloping to - the 

 south are desirable when earliness is the chief considera- 

 tion. 



586. Propagation. — The plants are readily propagated 

 from seed sown under glass or in the open, but as only 



