By Mr. Willtam Stothard. 193 



roots may be thrown away and fresh ones raised every year, 

 the same as is done with Succories. 



Mr. William Buck's method of growing forced Rhubarb, 

 described in a preceding part of this Volume, page 89, differs 

 in several points from that described here. He places his 

 plants in decayed tan, in preference to common mould ; the 

 temperature of his house is kept considerably lower, being 

 from 45 to 55 degrees ; and he uses plants raised from cut- 

 tings of the old roots, instead of seedlings. This is undoubt- 

 edly necessary, where any particular variety of a species, which 

 cannot be raised from seeds with certainty, is used. 



I have observed, that some Market Gardeners force Rhubarb 

 in large quantities for sale, planting it in the earth on the 

 floors of vineries. When old plants are treated in this man- 

 ner, if they are taken up entire, and with good roots, the 

 produce will be much greater than from those grown in pots ; 

 but such means are not at the command of every one, who 

 may wish to cultivate this useful esculent. 



With good management, sixty pots forced in regular suc- 

 cession, will be quite sufficient to supply a moderately sized 

 family. The seed should be saved from the best sorts, such 

 as Buck's Rhubarb, and the earliest varieties of Rheum 

 Undulatum. The leaves of the kinds of Rhubarb which have 

 scarlet foot-stalks, do not lose that quality by being grown 

 in a dark place. Their colour is then rather more delicate ; 

 but it is preserved in the dressing equally as well as when 

 leaves which are grown in the open ground are used. 



vol. vii. 



Cc 



