86 THE NEW RHUBARB CULTURE. 



By blowing steam directly into the tunnels the soil 

 is kept moist; the steam has a penetrating effect, and 

 permeates all parts of the bed, giving a uniform heat 

 throughout; this moist steam keeps up a continual fer- 

 mentation of the manure mulch, thus giving heat and 

 only occasional brief steamings are necessary. Care must 

 be taken not to use too much steam at one time, or the 

 plants may be ruined by over heating. Our rows were 

 four feet apart, the tunnels midway between them were 

 only eight inches wide, and yet we found that five 

 minutes at a time was as long as was safe to force 

 steam into a single tunnel. 



These experiments have been so successful as to in- 

 dicate that anyone provided with a steam heating plant 

 could successfully force asparagus or rhubarb for the 

 markets in this manner. To still further test forcing 

 by steam, in the open field, we are now growing a field 

 in which four inch drain tiles have been placed one foot 

 below the surface, in such a way that we expect to use 

 them for under-drainage, for sub-irrigation and for 

 steaming the crop for winter forcing. 



Exhibition Stalks. — When it is desired to grow espe- 

 cially large stalks of rhubarb for a choice trade or for 

 exhibition purposes, it is possible to increase the natural 

 size by thinning out all but the vigorous center buds, 

 simply cutting them off with a sharp spade, allowing the 

 whole strength of the roots to go to the large, vigorous 

 looking buds, of which not more than one or two should 

 be allowed to develop. To stimulate the hill to its ut- 

 most, set a large flower pot into the ground between the 

 hills, in the row, as in the accompanying illustration, and 

 fill it often with liquid manure of which too much can- 

 not be given. A good substitute for liquid manure is 

 nitrate of soda dissolved in water, using about a tea- 

 spoonful of the soda to two or three quarts of water. 

 Varieties like the Mammoth treated by this plan will 

 grow stalks of enormous size and attract much attention 



