48 THE NEW RHUBARB CULTURE. 



an established enterprise, thousands of dollars are paid 

 the gardeners every winter for the product. Tons are 

 consumed here and tons are shipped away, reaching 

 nearly all the principal cities of the United States. Yet 

 comparatively few of the farmers or gardeners are en- 

 gaged in the work. Scores and hundreds of the people 

 here never heard of the enterprise and themselves, prob- 

 ably, never tasted the product. Yet the enterprise is 

 growing, and the work is extending, and erelong the 

 growing of the roots for forcing will be a business of 

 itself. 



The Demand. — Within the recollection of many not 

 old enough to be very near relatives of Adam, tomato 

 growing has grown to marvelous proportions; but the 

 demand for tomatoes had to be created. The demand 

 will have to be made for winter rhubarb. 



But this is only history repeated. Figuratively 

 speaking the luxuries of yesterday become the necessities 

 of to-day, and once having tested the qualities of this 

 new delicacy its merits will fully establish its necessity; 

 and the men who grow it and help to build up that 

 demand, will get in on the first floor and make the 

 money. 



The growers here are often unable to obtain what 

 roots they need for immediate use and are ready to pay a 

 fair price, $10 per 100, and do their own hauling for 

 thrifty forcing roots. They can be profitably grown at 

 that price, as the ground for the first year after trans- 

 planting can be advantageously used for catch crops 

 and the second year should yield sufficient rhubarb to 

 pay all expenses of caring for the crop. 



Thus the outlook seems encouraging from any stand- 

 point. Competition, for the present at least, will be 

 chiefly confined to localities north of say 38 degrees, and 



