4f4 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ Jane 18, 1891. 
private use. But the influence of cold in this case is similar to 
that of sleep on individuals. After a sound, if short night’s rest, 
they move more briskly in the morning than if they had been kept 
moving, however slowly, aU night. Cold arrests grow’th, warmth 
excites it, and the warmth of spring must follow the severity of 
winter before Rhubarb can grow in Suffolk or elsewhere, and regard¬ 
less of variety. 
When the Rev. W. H. Sewell sought to benefit the public by 
offering roots of his Rhubarb at 7s. 6d. and 15s. each, according 
to size, a desire was felt to become acquainted with the variety, 
and if it was found to possess distinct advantages to aid in its 
distribution. A close examination of the samples, however, led us 
to suspect our correspondent was deceived, and that his Rhubarb 
was a very old variety which has been extensively grown for 
market at least fifty years, and probably much longer. With the 
object of ascertaining the truth on the subject, which it was 
naturally thought the Vicar would be glad to ascertain, we 
suggested that specimens be sent to the Fruit and Vegetable 
Committee of the Royal Horticultural Society at the then pending 
meeting on July 10th, to be examined with others from Chiswick 
by the experienced members of that Committee. To our surprise 
this offer was refused, on the ground that “ no grower of sound 
judgment would think of exhibiting a vegetable in use in the spring 
after Midsummer Day ; ” yet the grower of the self-same vege¬ 
table, and in the very next sentence, invited us to commission 
someone to “inspect it in his garden, describe it, sketch it or 
photograph it.” We could not see that if it was the wrong time 
for showing it to a committee it was the right time for figuring 
it. If it was in the wrong condition for one purpose it was wrong 
for the other, and if it was right for one it was right for both. 
It was really, as all practical men know, the time when the 
characters of Rhubarb were developed. Yet the Vicar declined to 
have his Rhubarb tested in that fair way. 
We then suggested that a root be sent to Chiswick on the 
understanding that roots of the same size and character should be 
taken up from the collection and planted with it, so that the trial 
should be absolutely fair. This was declined. It would only be 
sent on condition that it was to be planted and treated in a special 
and fanciful manner prescribed by the Vicar. That obviously is 
not the way that impartial trials are conducted in an experimental 
garden under competent and unprejudiced superintendence, and 
the root was not sent. Yet, in a letter before us written during 
the past month, and a very remarkable letter it is, as will be 
conceded, Mr. Sewell says, “ The Horticultural Society write, as 
it seems to me, angrily and not fairly in their last journal about not 
sending them my Rhubarb for them for trial. I was quite willing 
to do so. It was entirely their own fault that I did not. I do 
not now, perhaps, much regret the circumstance ; for if Mr. 
Barron could not separate stems of one dwarf kind called Early 
Red from another dwarf kind certainly not red but an earlier 
kind, which is pink, hew can I place much confidence in his opinion 
as to accept it without hesitation ? ” 
In the first place, as we have previously said, and now repeat, 
no official of the Royal Horticultural Society has written a line 
about the Vicar’s Rhubarb, neither in their own Journal nor in the 
Journal of Horticulture, and in the next place we note the writer of 
the letter does “ not regret ” that he did not send Rhubarb from 
his garden to be fairly tested at Chiswick. The reflections on Mr. 
Barron, who has tried dozens of varieties and alleged varieties of 
Rhubarb over dozens of years by a gentleman who has only tested the 
old variety in his garden with Johnston’s St. Martin’s is noteworthy, 
and Mr. Barron will not in the least mind the suggestion that he 
“ could not separate stems of the Early Red from stems of another 
not red,” because they were all exactly alike in colour, shape, 
texture, quality, earliness, and every other point. That was not 
Mr. Barron’s “opinion” alone, but the decision of others who 
examined them, and whose experience with Rhubarb is much 
greater than that to which the Vicar of Yaxley can have any pos¬ 
sible claim. His 7s. 6d. and 15s. roots of Rhubarb are of the Early 
Red of the London market gardens, and sold by nurserymen at 
ordinary market prices, either under that name or Prince Albert, 
Early Albert, or Royal Albert. Mr. Pownall has proved the identity 
by growing samples direct from the Vicar’s garden and direct 
from Chiswick, and if Mr. Sewell does not accept the verdict the 
public will, and he has henceforth no more right to sell his 
Rhubarb as a distinct variety under another name at an exorbitant 
price than we have to take down his sermons and sell them as our 
own, and especially at 500 per cent, and more above their market 
value, good as they may be. It may be added that the prices 
mentioned are taken from a printed leaflet issued by Mr. Sewell, 
and sent to us by a correspondent who has found out that the 
Rhubarb offered is not distinct. The practice of giving new 
names to old varieties of anything and charging higher prices for 
them, has been too common in past times, though in many cases. 
including the present one, the vendors were fully convinced that 
they had something really new and distinct to offer, and when 
men of high principle discover that they have been misled they 
are only too glad the mistake has been discovered, and it is no 
longer perpetuated. 
As confusion exists respecting the nomenclature of Rhubarb, 
and as a good deal of interest has of late been apparent in this- 
useful garden crop, a description of some of the varieties grown at 
Chiswick will not be unacceptable. The essential characte’S of the 
plants were noted when the flower heads were advanced ori May 
6th, and therefore all the parts fairly developed. The varieties are 
alluded to in their order in the trial now. 
Paragon. —Habic of plant upright ; stalks 18 inches long by 
IJ inch wide ; fla^, or slightly concave, outside slightly fluted ; 
colour dark dull red, flesh greenish ; leaves small, pointed deep 
green, the whole plant having a bronzy metallic hue ; po flowers. 
This was one of the earliest varieties during the spring, and is 
distinct and of good quality. 
H.wvkes’ Champagne. —Habit compact ; stalks 18 inches long 
by Ij inch wide, flattish, strongly concave, and slightly fluted at 
the back ; colour dull red and flesh slightly red ; leaves medium, 
broad undulated, covered with fine white hairs (having the appear¬ 
ance of faint mildew), which extend partly down the stalks p 
flower stems numerous and advanced. A first eirly variety, 
distinct, and of excellent quality. 
Early Red. —Habit compact; plant proliferous, producing 
many crowns ; stalks 18 inches long by 1 inch wide, with very 
sharp edges, inner surface slightly concave, outer somewhat fluted 
colour rosy pink at the base, greening upwards ; leaves small,, 
bright glossy green ; flower stems abundant and early. A popular 
first early variety, pink when young and very tender. This* 
Rhubarb has many synonyms, as good things often have, one of 
the latest being the Yaxley. 
Dancer’s Early Red. —Small, coarse, woolly, very mucb 
resembling a wilding, and of no value ; colour dark red. 
Tobolsk. —Grown also under the names of Buck’s Early Red 
and Early Crimson ; stalks 14 inches long by f inch wide, slightly 
concave, with sharp edges, very convex, and faintly ribbed ; colour 
dark crimson right through ; leaves small, undulated, hirsute, as i^ 
the upper part of the stalk ; flower heads sparse, quite red, and 
ornamental. A sample of “ Handy Andy’s ” Tobolsk, as received 
from Mr. Pownall, differs considerably, neither of them appearing 
to possess any marked value. 
Linn^us. —Grown also as Johnston’s St. Martin’s, Buckley’s 
Crimson, and New Emperor. Habit strong and spreading ; stalk 
16 inches Isng by 1 inch wide, inside flat, outside distinctly convex, 
and slightly fluted, a full firm stalk ; colour pale red at the base, 
green upwards ; leaves large, smooth, light green. A productive 
and useful variety, a little later than Early Red. 
Harrison’s Seedling. —Habit vigorous ; stalks 20 inches long 
by Ij wide, distinctly concave, outside slightly fluted ; colour, 
lower half bright red, upper half greenish; flesh green and 
firm ; leaves medium, deep green, much undulated, forming curls 
round the edges by the incurving of the points ; flower heads late. 
A productive and distinct midseason variety. 
Crimson Perfection. —Habit spreading ; stalks 18 inches 
long by J wide, firm, flat, or a little concave, outside faintly fluted ; 
colour dark crimson ; leaves, medium, deep green, hoary, n» 
flowers ; darker and later than Hawkes’ champagne, but not so 
good in quality. An improvement on Tobolsk. 
Victoria. —Habit robust; stalks 18 inches long by 1^ wide, 
full, inside slightly concave, outside strongly fluted ; colour rosy 
crimson, flesh whitish ; leaves large, cordate, stout in texture, dark 
glaucous green, and slightly hoary. One of the most productive 
and serviceable for midseason and late use. It is the famous 
“ Pink Rhubarb,” forced so extensively near Leeds for the Londoo 
and other markets, succeeding the smaller and earlier sorts. 
Conqueror (New).—One of Mr. Laxton’s seedlings. Habit 
robust, upright ; stalks 22 inches long by If inch wide, deeply 
concave with rounded edges, outside nearly smooth ; colour deep 
crimson ; leaves very large, stout, dark glaucous green, and slightly 
heavy. A noble Rhubarb, but how far its strength may be duo 
to the vigour of youth remains to be proved. It is of the Victoria; 
type, and the only real rival of that famous variety during its 
period of use. 
Only four varieties were cooked for comparison—the Early 
Red, Paragon, Hawkes’ Champagne, and a small scarlet Rhubarb 
received from a Lincolnshire rector. The Tobolsk varieties and 
Dancer’s Early Red are known to be inferior, while the qualities 
of Linnaeus and its varieties, also Victoria, are generally known to 
be good. Early Red proved the most tender of all, green, very 
juicy, and of good flavour, just the same as the Yaxley Vicar’s when 
cooked ; Paragon was firmer, slightly coloured, and very good. 
Ha-wkes’ Champagne was pink when cooked, with a piquant, plea- 
