The seeds are best sown moderately thick, (broad cast) treading them regularly in, as is usual with parsnips and other light seeds, and then raking the ground smooth. When the season is wet, make a bed for sowing the rhubarb seeds upon, about two feet thick, with new dung from the stable, covering it near one foot thick with good soil. The intent of this bed is not for the sake of warmth, but solely to prevent the rising of earth-worms, which in a moist season will frequently destroy the young crop.
If the seed is good, the plants often rise too thick; if so, when they have attained six leaves, they should be taken up carefully, (where too close), leaving the standing crop eight or ten inches apart: those taken up may be planted at the same distance in a fresh spot of ground, in order to furnish other plantations. When the plants in general are grown to the size that cabbage-plants are usually set out for a standing crop, they are best planted where they are to remain, in beds four feet wide, one row along the middle of the bed, leaving two yards' distance between the plants, allowing an alley between the beds about a foot wide, for conveniency of weeding the plants.
In the autumn, when the decayed leaves are removed, if the shoveling of the alleys is thrown over the crowns of the plants, it will be found of service.
1112. Cultivation of Turkey Rhubarb, by offsets.—Slip off several offsets from the heads of large plants; set them with a dibble about a foot apart, in order to remove them into other beds; and, in the autumn, they will be in a thriving state.
1113. Method of curing Rhubarb.—The plants may be taken up, either early in the spring or in autumn, when the leaves are decayed, in dry weather, if possible: when the roots are to be cleared from dirt, (without washing,) let them be cut into pieces, and, with a sharp knife, freed from the outer coat, and exposed to the sun and air for a few days, to render the outside a little dry.
In order to accelerate the curing of the largest pieces, a hole may be scooped out with a pen-knife; these and the smaller parts are then to be strung on packthread, and hung up in a warm room, where it is to remain till perfectly dry. Each piece may be rendered more sightly by a common file, fixing it in a small vice during that operation; afterwards rub over it a very fine powder, which the small roots furnish in beautiful perfection, for this and every other purpose where rhubarb is required.
An easier and simpler method of drying rhubarb is, after cutting the root into handsome pieces, to wrap up each separately, in one or more pieces of whitish-brown paper, and then to place them on the hob of a common Bath stove. Lemon and orange-peel dry beautifully in this way.