108 
May 12. 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
who had no straw on the crowns had their stalks destroyed 
entirely. 
“ My plan is to form large plantations of Rhubarb along 
the sides of some railway in Cornwall or Devon, and, as in 
the case of Sea-Kale and Asparagus, if practicable, ground 
should be chosen for it that slopes to the south, for this will 
make a difference of at least ten days in its earliness. 
When the land has been selected, dung it heavily, and trench 
it at least two spits deep. This should he done before the 
heavy rains of winter set in. Soil of too stiff or too clayey 
a nature must be avoided, for that would make a difference 
in the earliness. For the same reason wet land should not 
be selected, for that is at all times 5° colder than well drained 
land: besides, the latter offers facilities for air reaching 
the roots which wet land does not, and without air, the 
roots cannot thrive any more than the tops can. 
“ Before making the permanent plantation, it would be 
well if a large number of the best sorts were previously 
planted out thickly in a piece of ground, and coming for¬ 
ward ; these might be divided and increased with advantage, 
leaving a bud on each division. This will multiply your 
stock amazingly, and lessen your outlay for plants. Mr. 
Myatt plants four feet square, but that is quite a foot too 
wide for held culture, if no other intermediate crop is in¬ 
tended. The plants ought to be put in alternately, or 
quincunx fashion, which gives them more air, and the roots 
fair play. In the first year something dwarf might be sown 
between the rows, as turnips, for instance. Next year the 
Rhubarb plants will afford a fair picking, and in doing this 
some leave nothing but the flower-stems to draw up the sap, 
until the last pulling takes place, and then the flower-stems 
are removed; but Mr. Myatt makes it a rule never to pull 
every stalk off, for that injures the root. It is quite certain 
that leaves and flower-stems are, in a great measure, formed 
out of the matter that was stored up in the roots the pre¬ 
vious year; and if we cut them off without allowing them 
to restore to the root that which they have taken from it, we 
shall have a weaker growth the following year. It is on 
this principle that the leaves of Crocuses and Snowdrops 
are never removed by good gardeners till they have fulfilled 
their office, and become withered; for if they were, the 
result would, in all probability, be no flower next year. 
Rhubarb roots should, therefore, never be perfectly denuded 
of foliage. 
“ I mentioned to a London market-gardener one day, 
that I was of opinion that Cornwall and Devon would ulti¬ 
mately be found to be the great marts for our early Rhubarb. 
His reply was, ‘ We can beat them hollow.’ ‘That’s well,’ 
said I; ‘ for the whole of the north of England, and Scot¬ 
land too, are ready to receive not only early Rhubarb, 
but every thing else. At the present time (April 25th) 
there are many tons being sent northwards daily. There is 
no fear, therefore, of glutting the market.’ The Cornwall 
and Devonshire grov'ers might easily have forced Rhubarb 
all the winter, by making trenches five feet broad, and one 
or two hundred yards long, taking up the roots and pack¬ 
ing them in the trench, and putting mould upon them. 
Hurdles covered with straw might be placed over all. 
Nothing more would be needed, but of course it would 
require immense quantities of roots to replace those that 
were forced, which should not be thrown away, but cut 
into eyes and planted again. In order, however, to save 
the roots where they stand, and still get them earlier, they 
must be covered with pots, which must be made for the pur¬ 
pose, not less than 1H inches high and a foot in diameter. 
They should have no hole at the top, as that would not only 
let out the heated air generated in the inside by tire sun’s 
rays, but would cause the interior to be colder than the 
external atmosphere. To avoid the expense of pots, covering 
the crowns with plenty of straw is a good plan to protect it, 
the straw would afterwards act as a manure to the ground. 
Many persons prefer Rhubarb grown in a half-blanched 
form, they think it more delicate in flavour: one thing is 
certain, that it does not form so large leaves, and would be 
easier packed. The mild climate of Cornwall and Devon 
would, however, without any artificial treatment, produce 
Rhubarb fit for use at least five or six weeks before it could 
be brought to market from anywhere else, and instead of 
having five or six weeks’ cheap Rhubarb, as we now have, 
we should then have a two or three months’ excellent supply. 
It is now (March 10) selling at Is. a bunch of from twelve 
to eighteen heads, which, trifling as it may appear, is such a 
price that the middle and industrial classes cannot pay. 
“Ireland, which has the finest land and climate in the 
world, and which has railways passing from its south to its 
north, possesses extraordinary capabilities for producing 
everything in first-rate style. The south could supply the 
north with early produce; the north again could supply the 
south with late produce, and in this way a long continuance 
of good and cheap things would be the result. But when 
shall these things be ? When shall that unhappy portion of 
the British dominions care for its own and its neighbour’s 
interest? Let us hope that it soon will, that the dark cloud 
which at present hangs over it will pass rapidly away, and 
ere long fair ‘Erin’ will put on a more industrious and 
smiling face.” 
Aphelexis Culture. —By Mr. William Barnes, of Cam¬ 
den Nursery, Camberwell, in The Florist for May:— 
“ This beautiful and justly much admired genus has for 
many years formed one of the greatest ornaments in the 
splendid collections of plants that have annually graced the 
tents of our great metropolitan exhibitions ; a few practical 
hints, therefore, respecting its cultivation, which I have 
conducted successfully for many years, may not be unin¬ 
teresting. I -will commence with its propagation, which is 
considered by many rather a difficult task, but having raised 
some hundreds of them by the following process, I venture 
to assert, that by strictly pursuing my plan, no one will be 
disappointed in the attempt. I would choose the month of 
June for the purpose : in selecting cuttings, make choice of 
good strong ripe wood, three or four inches long, if such 
can be obtained; and if there are three or four side-shoots 
to the cuttings all the better, as in that way nice dwarf 
bushy plants will be formed at once. In taking off cuttings, 
instead of removing them with a knife, break them out 
down to the joint, with a shoulder or heel to them, and just 
pruning off the loose bark with a knife, is all that is re¬ 
quired. Prepare some 5-inch pots by well draining them, 
and filling them nearly full with light peat and sharp sand 
in equal proportion; on this place half-an-inch of clean 
sharp sand, press all down close, and place your cuttings 
round the edge of the pot, pressing them in tightly. When 
finished, select a shady place out-of doors under a north 
wall for them. Take out a trench about nine inches deep ; 
place in the bottom of it three inches of coal-ashes, for the 
purpose of keeping down worms, and on this plunge your 
pots to their rims, filling up between them with ashes. 
When this is done, put a sound hand-glass over them, 
pressing it down firmly on the ashes to seclude all air from 
entering. They may then be left three or four days, when 
they may receive a slight sprinkling of water. Put the glass 
carefully on them again, when there will be but little to 
attend to until they are rooted, except looking to them 
occasionally, in order to see that they do not get dry, or 
that damp does not accumulate. 
“ In August they will be ready for potting, which should 
be done as soon as they are rooted, in order to get well- 
established, nice, bushy plants before winter. When potting, 
use the same compost as is recommended for the bottom of 
the cutting plants, and pot them into fl inch pots. Set 
them in a close cold frame, and shade them from the hot 
sun. In a fortnight they will be sufficiently established to 
permit of the operation of topping being performed, which 
should be done to every shoot; this will ensure your getting 
them short and bushy, and a proper foundation will be laid 
for a fine specimen. 
“When the season arrives for placing them in their 
winter quarters, make choice of a nice dry, airy shelf in the 
greenhouse for them, as close to the glass as can be ob¬ 
tained, where they may remain until the following April; 
they will then require shifting into larger pots, using the 
compost rather coarser and with less sand in it than before, 
and mixing some small pieces of charcoal or broken pot¬ 
sherds with it, which prevent the soil from becoming 
soddened and unhealthy. Keep them either in a cold pit 
or frame, and see that they are constantly topped, which 
will be found to give them more strength and vigour; they 
will require another fresh potting about the middle of .Tune, 
which should be their final one for that season. When 
properly established, after this time of shifting, begin to 
