238 FRUITS AND \EGETABLES UNDER GLASS 



all other \egctal)les, it will respond to good culture, and the successful grower 

 will be liberal with manure. A gtxid batch of thrifty Rhubarb in the forcing 

 house during the Winter or early Spring is a pleasant sight, and the man who 

 brings it along in this condition deserves all credit. Yet the material in those 

 crowns must be stored up before they are subjected to the forcing process. The 

 crowns may be brought to the proper condition by good cultivation and a liberal 

 supply of farmyard manure; it is impossible to produce a strong growth in impov- 

 erished soil. As I have said, the general method of increasing stock is by seed; 

 but we may occasionally have an excellent strain that is very productive, in which 

 case the stock should be kept up by division when it gets to be four or five years 

 old and has grown a goodly number of crowns. They may then be divided and 

 replanted again. When increased by seed, part of the crop will often be found 

 coarse and undesirable. 



Forced Rhubarb is \ery delicate in appearance, especially when grown in 

 the dark; it will thrive here equally as well as in the light, the only difference 

 being less leaf and longer stalks; the acidity is also diminished, though there is 

 still enough to give the true Rhubarb flavor. Less sweetening will be required to 

 make it palatable and this is a point in its favor as against the outdoor product. 



In selecting plants with extra strong crow^ns for forcing purposes, far better 

 results will be obtained when the foliage has died down and before hard freezing 

 sets in. Enough roots should be dug up to carry through the forcing season. 

 In regard to quantity — every one will be governed according to demand, although 

 in digging up those roots one should secure all the roots possible; also leave as 

 much soil as will remain among the fibrous roots. It is absolutely necessary for 

 best results to allow those roots to go through a freezing process before they are 

 placed in their forcing quarters; better results will then be obtained, as the 

 crowns will throw up more freely when Nature has done her part in freezing 

 them. The roots may be allowed to stay in the open, but when frozen they 

 should be staked in piles and covered with long manure to prevent constant 

 freezing and thawing; roots then can be selected for the forcing house whenever 

 needed. Anj- time in December a batch of roots may be put into heat, either 

 under a greenhouse bench, where a minimum temperature of 55° to 60 can be 

 maintained, or in a mushroomhouse; Rhubarb will thrive splendidly in either of 

 these locations. The roots should be placed close together, filling in the open, 

 hollow spaces between them with soil, leaf mould or anything else that will hold 

 moisture. 



Enough material should be used to cover the roots, and also the crowns 

 slightly. Very little watering is required until the growth commences, when the 

 plants should be kept fairly moist. A constant supply may be had by bringing 

 fresh roots into heat every three weeks, from Christmas until the outdoor product 

 comes around again. It takes very little labor and attention to furnish this 

 healthful table delicacy. No doubt there have been failures in this crop due to 

 bad selection of old roots, which are not suited for forcing. Plants three years 

 old are of just the right age, if they have been under good culture in rich soil. 

 Older plants may also be used, but they will be slower in starting into growth, 

 and the stalks will be much smaller. The best roots possible should be obtained. 



