AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
Sbigitri) u imjjrok tlje gamier, il \t flaitter, ani the (Sarkucr. 
A GUICULT URE IS THE MOST '.HEALTHY, TEE MOST USEFUL, AND THE MOST NOBLE EMPLOYMENT OF MAN. - Washington. 
PUBLISHED WEEKLY BY ALLEN & CO., 189 WATER ST. 
v 0 L • XI • ] NEW-YORK, WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 1853. [NUMBER 11. 
m*FOR PROSPECTUS, TERMS, ^c., 
j(SEE LAST PAGE. 
THE RHUBARB. 
No. I. 
A fact recently mentioned in our columns, 
“ that a barrel of the roots of this plant survived 
a soaking of several days in salt water, and grew 
vigorously after it,” has led us to look a little into 
its history and mode of cultivation. The fact 
is a remarkable corroboration of the teachings 
of science, and of the worth of chemical analysis 
in good gardening. One of our rhubarb planta¬ 
tions is upon soil heavily dressed with marsh 
mud, and within a rod of a ditch where the tide 
flows. The result has been surprising to all be¬ 
holders, and has far surpassed all our former 
experience in the cultivation of this esculent. 
Rhubarb is an exotic, and belongs to the genus 
Rheum. It is a large, hardy perennial, of the 
doch family. There are several species of it, and 
numerous varieties of the edible sort, which culti¬ 
vation is continually multiplying and improving. 
The genus has its name Rheum from the Greek 
reo, to flow, from its purgative qualities, or from 
Rha, the A Volga, whence it was first brought. 
The Rheum palmat lira comes from China, whence 
it has been introduced into Europe and America. 
The leaves are palmate acuminate. It has a 
fleshy root of a yellowish brown upon the out¬ 
side ; within it is a bright yellow veined with 
red, and forms the rhubarb of the apothecary. 
The Turks seem to have a monopoly of this ar¬ 
ticle, more probably from the fact, that they 
understand its culture, than from any peculiarity 
in their soil and climate. Besides this species, 
there are Rheum compaction and Rheum aus- 
trale cultivated for their medicinal qualities. 
Several attempts have been made,' both in this 
country and in western Europe, to cultivate the 
medicinal sorts, but without any degree of suc¬ 
cess. We are persuaded the failure has been 
owing to ignorance of the composition of the 
plant, of its habits, mode of culture, time of 
gathering, &c. When these are well understood, 
we see no reason why it may not be cultivated 
with even more success than in China and Tur¬ 
key. If tea can be naturalized in South Caro¬ 
lina, and grown at half the expense of the im¬ 
ported article, why may not rhubarb become 
one of our staples, and form an item of our na¬ 
tional wealth ? The root of good Turkey rhubarb 
is worth now in the market from three to four 
dollars a pound. Any production of the soil in 
which the bulk is so small in proportion to the 
value, is exceedingly desirable. If the yield of 
the root is as abundant as that of the edible 
kinds, it would make a very lucrative crop. We 
throw out these hints for the benefit of some 
enterprising capitalist among our farmers. Here 
is an open door to wealth to some man who has 
the courage and skill to enter. 
Of the edible kinds of rhubarb, now widely 
known as the pie plant, the Rheum rhaponticum 
is the most generally cultivated. It is a native 
of Asia, and was introduced into Europe in 1575. 
This species is the original of the numerous fine 
varieties raised from the seed. Besides this there 
is Rheum undulatum , a native of China, intro¬ 
duced in 1734; Elford rhubarb, a scarlet variety, 
and Rheum hybridum, a native of Asia, culti¬ 
vated in 1778. 
These were first brought into general notice 
in the London Market, by Mr. Myatt, some 
twenty years ago. They are the first product of 
the spring suitable for pies, and the rapid ex¬ 
tension of the cultivation of this plant shows 
that it fills a great desideratum in the market. 
The varieties produced from the rhaponticum 
now quite extensively cultivated are numerous. 
New seedlings are easily grown and they are not 
infrequently an improvement upon the parent 
stock. Among the best for cultivation is the 
Tobolsk, a small early kind, producing petioles 
from eighteen inches to two feet in length ; the 
Washington, with green spots upon the foot 
stalks a little larger and a little later; the Giant, 
with round green stalks sometimes two inches 
through and four feet long; the Mammoth, a 
seedling of the Giant, propagated by Robert 
Buist ; the Myatt's Victoria and the Large Early 
Red, both seedlings of the Victoria. 
Myatt's Linnaeus is one of the largest kinds, 
and is the best with which we are acquainted. 
It was introduced into this country by the Mr. 
Marshal P. Wilder, and has been liberally dis¬ 
tributed by that eminent patron of horticultural 
art. A few small roots, sent us by that gentle¬ 
man last spring, have each produced leaf stalks 
thirty inches long and weighing over one and a 
half pounds. Each root formed a massive bundle 
of leaves nearly a foot in diameter. AVe have 
never tried any sort that sent up in such rapid 
succession, an abundant supply of large leaf 
stalks. In cooking, this sort retains its form 
better than many others while it is more tender 
and less stringy. It is said to produce seedlings 
more like the parent stock than the other kinds. 
Uses. —The large succulent petioles are highly 
esteemed for making pies, tarts, jellies, preserves, 
wine, &c., which much resemble those made 
from apples and gooseberries. Buist says 
“ The varieties of Rhubarb for cooking form an 
object of much interest, and even great profit to 
the market gardener, and to every householder 
who has a garden it cannot be too highly re¬ 
commended as a very salubrious vegetable jfor 
the family, either stewed or in pies and tarts. 
For dysentery in children, it is an infallible 
remedy, Stewed, seasoned with sugar, and eaten 
in any quantity with bread. The stalk is fit for 
use when the leaf begins to expand. Take the 
outside skin off the stalk, cut it into pieces about 
an inch long, put them into a sauce-pan with 
plenty of brown sugar and a few tablespoonsful 
of water; cover if, and let it stew slowly until 
it is perfectly soft; after having cooled it is 
ready for use. Few vegetables have made more 
rapid progress in their cultivation within the 
past twenty years, than this article, and we yet 
expect to sec it cultivated by the hundred acres, 
and brought to our markets by wagon loads.” 
Whoever has visited our large city markets 
in the season of this article has seen the antici¬ 
pations of Mr. Buist already realized. The best 
cook wc know of, and our lady readers will 
guess in a moment whom we mean, differs a 
little from the gardener, in substituting white 
sugar for brown, on the score of economy as 
well as taste. She also doubts about the article 
being an] infallible remedy for the/lysentery, 
though it may be as worthy of that title as many 
other remedies which it graces. But she strongly 
affirms that it is infallible for good pies if one 
knows how to make the crust, or if any have 
conscientious scruples against pastry, it is infal¬ 
lible for a stewed sauce to be eaten with bread 
and butter for tea. It is a good substitute for 
preserves, and is much more wholesome. It 
comes too at a season when the sweetmeats be¬ 
gin to run low, especially if the housewife is 
hospitable, and has a large circle of friends. 
The rapidly increasing popularity of this ar¬ 
ticle is perhaps the best commentary upon its 
merits. In 1835, William Paterson, of Newark, 
had the rhubarb market all to himself. He 
sent his market-boy with parcels to the hotels, 
but to his astonishment lie returned with not a 
stalk sold; some told the boy they were not sick 
and did not require rhubarb, others they were 
not so green as to make pies out of green leaves, 
and gravely asked him what sort of a man had 
sent him with such stuff. Now vast quantities 
of pie plant are sold in Newark, and in all the 
cities and villages of the North. Few families 
are unacquainted with the article. 
- «-»-♦- 
NITRATE OF SODA. 
AYe have no selfish end in view, no “axe to 
grind,” in constantly reverting to this subject; 
but as we have before stated, we have a good 
deal of confidence in the idea that Nitrate of 
soda will soon be a successful competitor against 
monopolized guano. 
AA T c suggest to those who have time and means, 
the propriety of making experiments with this 
article during this fall, and especially the coming 
spring. AYe propose that the first trials be made 
upon wheat, using the nitrate of soda as a top¬ 
dressing. Let these experiments be made upon 
measured plots of ground in the middle of the 
fields, so as to give a fair opportunity for com¬ 
parison with the surrounding portions. 
The nitrate should be applied upon adjoining 
plots of ground-in different proportions and at 
different seasons. All top-dressings, of whatever 
