VARIETIES OF RHUBARB 259 



put bottomless boxes over three of the seven plants, after pulling all leaves 

 but the very smallest. Two weeks later the rhubarb was pulled to eat. That 

 in the boxes averaged considerably over twice as large as the best of that 

 outside. The boxes were just large enough to fit over the plants, forcing the 

 smallest leaves to point upward. 



For early forcing for home use, take a deep box, make up a 

 mixture of stable manure and garden soil, plant strong roots in 

 this and water well. Place this in a dark shed or in the cellar and 

 water every three weeks or so, and get forced rhubarb. 



Varieties. The Monarch is largely grown. It has a very wide, 

 flat stem. The Victoria has red, long stems, rather sharp acid, but 

 a very productive sort and popular. Linnaeus is early, large, thick 

 stems, of excellent flavor and less acid. Strawberry is largely 

 grown in the great summer rhubarb district around San Lorenzo, 

 Alameda county. 



The Crimson Winter, introduced from Australia by Luther 

 Burbank about 1895, and sold by him to the trade in 1900, has 

 revolutionized rhubarb growing in California by completely re- 

 versing the market season. This variety and its improvements by 

 Mr. Burbank and by others who have practiced selection, notably 

 by J. B. Wagner, of Pasadena, who originated Wagner's Giant and 

 has multiplied the rhubarb acreage of the state and vastly increased 

 the serviceability and commercial suitability of the plant. It has 

 precluded forcing in California and promises to render forcing un- 

 profitable even in the wintry parts of the country because of the 

 large supplies of open air rhubarb which are available for ship- 

 ment from this state at all times of the year when the summer va- 

 rieties grown in wintry climates are unproductive. 



The winter varieties are not reported satisfactory on the flat 

 rich lands of Alameda county, where the chief crops of summer 

 varieties are produced. For most profit they are grown on deep, 

 light soils where frosts are very light. From such places they reach 

 an early winter market and do not compete with summer varieties. 



