CULTURE OF RHUBARB. 
157 
ever, in trenching, not to bury all the top spit of soil in the bottom 
of the trench, but reserve it for the roots to be planted in, for they 
will thrive much better in it, than in that taken up so far from the 
surface. Then plant the roots in rows six feet apart, and four feet 
from root to root in the rows, for the smaller growing sorts, as Wil- 
mots, &c. and six feet from root to root for the Gigantic and other 
strong growing kinds. Or if planted on Dr. Bevan’s system, stated 
Vol. 1, page 486, they will grow very fine. None of the stalks should 
be gathered the first or second years, but in the third season they 
may be used as required. Cut off all the flower stalks as soon as 
they begin to shew flower, except such as may be left to collect seed 
from, which should always be the finest. Never gather the stalks to 
excess late in the summer, for if this be not attended to, they will so 
far degenerate as to throw up the following season a complete wood 
of spindling, stringy stalks, scarcely fit for use ; whereas, if treated 
properly, they will continue to produce abundantly for many years. 
General Culture .—All the culture required after planting out, is 
to keep them free from weeds during summer, and fork in a good 
coat of rotten dung every spring; the crowns should also be covered 
with a portion of half-rotted dung, to preserve them from being in¬ 
jured by frost in winter. 
Planting out for Forcing .—Take the plants from the hotbed 
where they were sown, and plant them in rows eighteen inches apart 
every way, on ground previously well-dunged and trenched two feet 
deep. Stir the soil about them occasionally during summer to en¬ 
courage their growth, and by the time they are two years old, the 
roots will be very fine, and at that age best calculated to force. 
Mode of Forcing .—The best mode of forcing, and one attended 
with the least trouble, is to place a small frame of one or two lights 
in a peach-house, stove, or forcing pit of any kind, and having put 
in a sufficiency of old bark, take up a quantity of roots without 
breaking them, and plunge them in the bark as thick as they can be 
put together, until the frame is filled; then cover them down with 
wooden covers, or the glasses belonging the frame will do, providing 
mats be thrown over to exclude the light. If they become dry, wa¬ 
ter them as often as they require it; and in about a fortnight the 
stalks will be ready for use. When the first half of the frame has 
begun to shoot up, fill the other part after the same manner; and 
when it has grown a little, remove the roots first put in, and fill up 
with a fresh supply, and continue to do so until the forcing season is 
over : the roots forced may be either thrown away, or planted ; but we 
