PERENNIAL 
21 CROPS 
in forced rhubarb, would be injurious to the 
garden rhubarb. In out-of-door growth, the 
vigor and fruitfulness of the plants in any grow- 
ing season, are largely determined by the spread 
of leaves in the preceding season. For this 
reason, after the cutting season is over, the 
plants are encouraged to develop leaves; the 
smaller and weaker ones being cut off that the 
large ones may grow still larger, but all seed 
stalks should be cut, so as to preserve the vigor 
for next season’s growth of stalks. 
When ready for market, rhubarb is tied in 
bunches of two to five stalks and an acre will 
produce about 3000 dozen bunches. That is 
a pretty good return when it requires only about 
a pound of seed to sow an acre in the first place. 
Rhubarb is native to eastern Asia and has no 
serious insect enemies or diseases. 
DOCKS AND SORRELS. 
Those who are fond of very early greens will 
be glad to know of the garden varieties of docks 
and sorrels which come earlier than any other 
pot-herbs. They were originally imported from 
France where they are in general use. 
The best varieties are the Spinage Dock and 
the Large Belleville, really asorrel. The Spinage 
Dock is a week or ten days earlier than the 
