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having roundifli fmooth heart-fhaped leaves, and an upright 

 ftrong item, three feet in height ; while, in the latter, the 

 root is thick and flemy, and the leaves large and palmated, 

 having the ftem five, fix, or more feet in height. Eefides 

 the ufe of the roots as a drug, parts of the young Italics of 

 the plants, as well as of the leaves, may be made ufe of, when 

 cut, peeled, and prepared in the fpring feafon, as an article 

 of food. 



This plant is ufually raifed by fowing the well ripened 

 feed in the autumn or early fpring feafons, as about Septem- 

 ber, or in February, on beds of rich, deep, well-manured 

 earth, either in the drill or broadcaft manner : the plants 

 being afterwards kept clean from weeds, and properly 

 thinned. But the autumn is faid to be the better, as the 

 plants are more rtrong for planting in the fpring. When the 

 plants have attained four or five inches in growth, they ihould 

 be planted out on hills, made at the dillance of four feet, by 

 digging out the earth to the depth of three feet, and filling 

 in with well-rotten manure, and the mould taken out, fo as 

 to raife the plants a little above the natural furface of the 

 land. Some, however, direct that a deep, rich, well prepared 

 foil, that is neither too moid nor too dry, mould be chofen 

 for this fort of culture, the feeds being fown upon it in the 

 early autumn, fo as to remain without tranfplanting, as by 

 this means the plants fufFer no check in their growth, and 

 the roots become larger and more fair. The plants, in both 

 modes, mull be conftantly kept clean and free from all forts of 

 weeds, and in the latter they Ihould be fet out in the different 

 hoeings to the diftance of fix or eight inches at firft, and 

 afterwards to two or three feet, or more. When the leaves 

 and items decay in the autumn, the ground fhould be well 

 cleaned ; and in the fpring, on the plants protruding, 

 be dug well, or hoed between them. In the third year 

 the roots will, in moft cafes, be in a ftate to be taken up 

 for ufe. 



Another method has been fuggefted for raifing thefe 

 plants, as being more eafy, fecure, and expeditious, which 

 is by planting the off-fets, eyes, or buds, feparated from 

 the upper parts of the roots, with a fmall proportion of the 

 old root, having fome root fibres to them ; thefe may be 

 taken from the old roots of three or four years' growth. In 

 this way a year is faved, and the plants lefs expofed to dan- 

 ger from flugs, as well as more certain in growing, lefs ten- 

 der, and the fize of the roots equal. In Mr. Hayward's 

 pra&ice in this mode, the off-fets were flipped from the heads 

 of large plants in the fpring, and fct, by means of a dibble, 

 at the diilanceof about a foot. And on further experience, 

 when he took up his roots in the fpring or autumn, he divided 

 the head into many parts, which he planted directly at two 

 feet diftance, where intended for further removal, but if to 

 remain for a crop, at four feet and a half. 



It may be noticed, that in the culture of this root, a 

 gentle declivity is the belt fituation ; it fhould not be too 

 much (haded, either on the fouth or weft. But it is effen- 

 tial that there be a great depth and richnefs of foil, which 

 is beft when of the light loamy kind, and perfectly free 

 from any ftagnation of moiiture. Where the fituation is 

 flat, the land is beft raifed into ridges or beds, with deep 

 furrows or trenches between them. 



And when the feed-<*ems are removed in the autumn, the 

 crowns of the plants fhould be well covered over with 

 mould, fo as to form a fort of hillock, as by this means 

 the moiiture will be more effectually kept from the plants. 



But where the tranfplanting method is pra&ifed, it is ad- 

 vifed that great care ihould be taken that the nurfery beds 

 are well watered, and protected from infects, as the ilronger 

 the plants are here, the better they fucceed afterwards. In 



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forming plantation, and filling up vacancies in them, the 

 fineft and moft healthy plants are always to be made ufe of. 

 Where the chief bud is dcftroyed, they never anfwer well. 



The particular injuries to which thefe young plants are 

 expofed, are the attacks of flugs and infects, and too much 

 expofure to froft in their more early growth ; but afterwards 

 they are fufficiently hardy. 



In general the roots are proper for being taken up about 

 the third or fourth year, or as foon as the plants have 

 flowered perfectly. And the autumn is the belt feafon for 

 the purpofe, when the Items decay, when they (hould be 

 well dried, cleaned, and cut into thin pieces, ftringing them 

 upon packthread, and hanging them up to dry in a gradual 

 manner. 



It has been obferved by the writer of the Perthfhire 

 Agricultural Report, that it is furpriiing the culture of 

 rhubarb has not claimed more attention, and been adopted on 

 a more extenfive fcale, as it is calculated to bring large 

 profits. 



The palmated rhubarb has been cultivated in Suffex by 

 the earl of Egremont, for medicinal purpofes, who has it 

 dried and cured in as good order and prefervation as any im- 

 ported from abroad. It is taken out of the ground in au- 

 tumn, after Handing (even or eight years, and then wafhed 

 clean, and dried, either in the fun, or on the flue of a hot- 

 houfe, after being cut into thin pieces. In ufing it, no dif- 

 ference is found between it and the foreign, and great favino- 

 might be made in this way in the importation of the 

 article. 



Rhubarb, Monk's, is a fpeciesof dock. See Rumex. 

 The root of this plant is more aftringent than rhubarb, 

 but is much inferior in its purgative virtue, though given, at 

 ufually directed, in double its dofe ; naufeating the ftu- 

 mach, without producing any confiderable evacuation. It 

 communicates a deep yellow tincture, both to water and 

 fpirit. Lewis. 



Rhubarb, White. See Mechoacan. 

 RHUBRA, in Ancient Geography, a town fituated on 

 the fouthern coaft of the iflaud of Corfica, between the 

 port of Syracufe and the promontory Graniacum. Pto- 

 lemy. 



RHUBRICATA, a town of Hifpania, in the Tarra- 

 gonefe, in the country of the Lacetanians. Ptolemy. 



RHUBUNA, a town of Africa, on the northern bank 

 of the river Gira, between Artagira and Lynxama. Pto- 

 lemy. 



RHUDA, a town of Alia, in Parthia, between Pafa- 

 carta and Simpfimida. Ptolemy. 



RHUDDLAN, or Riiyddlan, in Geography, a bo- 

 rough town in the cwmwd of Rhuddlan, cantref of Tegeing 

 (now called the hundred of Rhuddlan), county of Flint, 

 North Wales, is fituated on the eailern bank of the river 

 Clwyd, at the diftance of five miles N. from the city of St. 

 Afaph, and 21 J miles N.W. from London. It is a town of 

 great antiquity, and, as appears from tradition, and like- 

 wife from the remains of its caftle, was a place of confi- 

 derable importance in early times. A large common in the 

 immediate vicinity was the theatre of a dreadful battle 

 fought between the Welfh, under prince Caradoc, and the 

 Saxons, commanded by Offa, king of Mercia. In this ac- 

 tion the Welfh were defeated, and their leader flain ; and to 

 add to their misfortunes, Offa put to death all the men and 

 children who fell into his hands, but fpared the women. 

 The memory of the above tragical occurrence is commemo- 

 rated in a ballad called " Morfa Rhuddlan," the air of which 

 is charadterifed by Pennant as being " moft tenderly plain- 

 tive." This town was conftituted a free borough by king 



1 Edward 



