Observations on forcing Garden Rhubarb. 191 



a Communication from the President, on a plan of forcing 

 Rhubarb in pots, the principle of which must be the guide 

 in every mode of growing these plants in houses, however 

 the details may differ. Mr. Knight used one year-old roots, 

 (raised from cuttings of old roots) planted close together in 

 pots ; which were covered by inverted pots, and placed in 

 the dark part of a vinery, where nothing else w ould thrive. 

 He suggested, that seedlings, raised from autumnal sown 

 seeds, would also be sufficiently strong for the purpose, and, 

 as was obvious, observed that other places, where a certain 

 temperature was maintained, would answer equally with a 

 vinery. Mr. James Smith, of Hopetoun House, reported* 

 in March, 1822, to the Society, his success with old roots of 

 Rheum hybridum planted in boxes, and placed in a mushroom 

 house. The particulars of Mr. Smith's practice have been 

 lately (1825) published in the Memoirs of the Caledonian 

 Horticultural Society, Vol. iii. p. 451. 



The sample of forced Rhubarb sent from the Garden of the 

 Society, and exhibited at the Meeting on the 20th of February, 

 was produced from seedling plants of the previous spring. The 

 seed was sown on the 3rd of April last, in small beds, on a 

 wall border facing the east, and lightly covered with mould. 

 On account of the dry weather at that season, the beds were 

 watered once or twice to make the seeds vegetate. Very 

 little attention was necessary for the plants during the rest 

 of the season, except in thinning and weeding them. At the 

 end of October they were taken up, by opening a trench at 

 one end of the border, and the roots were thus lifted without 

 injuring their fibres. After the whole were up, the largest 



• See Horticultural Transactions, Vol. vi. page 111. 



