1528 



RHUBARB 



lings are likely to be of weak vitality. Not more than 

 15 per cent ean be counted on to bo fairly true to the 

 varietal type. In the writer's experiments 4 ounces of 

 seed was sown ea.dl season. The seed was selected from 

 ideal plants tlial bad lieou ]iropai;at(d by division. 

 As to varieties, the writer lias bad best resuUs with 

 Liiirifeus aud Victoria. S. II. Linton. 



FoRorac; of Rhubarb. -The forcin- of Rhuliarb has 

 now hecom,- ipiite a proHtable iu.luslr'v in llie viriiiily 



of many of the birn'e 

 cities. It may be forced 

 either in tlie held wllere 

 the roots are ^rowiiiLC 

 or lifted and jdaced in 

 botheds.under ficrreii- 

 hoiise hrmdics oi- in 

 a dark r.dlar. See 

 Fi^-. '-111:!. 



iUnch the larger part 

 of the Rhubarb wdiieb 

 is ott'ered for sale dur- 

 ing the winter months 

 is grown in rough forc- 

 ing houses which are 

 liuilt over tlie plants 

 in the field. Fig. 2114. 

 These houses are sim- 

 ply and cheaply cmi- 

 structed. the sides usu- 

 ally being about live 

 feet liigli. of rough 

 h n a r d s . \\ hicli are 

 covered Willi cheap 

 f(U'meil of hc.tbcd sash, 

 from '2-i to ;U) feet in 

 iigth. Artificial heat is 

 ing the most ])opu!ar, 

 t times dejiended upon to give 

 e suil njMisturi.- is usually snlli- 

 is gi\-en. Plants for forcing 

 than two by three feet ai'art 

 nnnaily with libera] dressings 

 »m COW" and hog manure being 

 considered the best. The sash siiouid be ]))aced ui)On 

 the house iluring the first part of February, and may lie 

 removed for ns.- on ImtlM-ds and r.iblframes in from 

 four to six weeks. The stalks are usually pulled twice, 

 the returns being from ^l.Hf) to ^2 ]ier yasli, depending 

 upon the seasen at wliicli it is placed upon the market. 

 The cost of production is often greatly reduceil by grow- 

 ing a <M-ep of spinach or dandelions between the rows, 

 the priee obtained for these fillers usually being snfti- 

 cient to pay fm- all e<ist of labor and nKiiiiteiiance. 



1 



2113, 

 Thi 



Stalks of forced Rhubarb. 

 leaf -blades do not develop. 



The 



are 



ided. 



ste 



building i"iaper. 

 These building 

 width and of ; 

 gtnierally ]o-ov 

 aUlMiUL.'li the sun is ; 

 the re(|iiire,l heat. The 

 cient. so tliat ne> water 

 sheiuld be set mit more 

 and should be fertilized ; 

 of compost, that made fr 



roof i 

 msuall 

 sired 



bi 





RHUS 



the benches, all spaces hetweeu them should be filled 

 with soil to lo-evenl evaporal imi. When the plant,5 

 start into growth they should be given an abun- 

 dance of moisture. When forced in this maimer light is 

 mit necessary; therefore any convenient place may be 

 used, provided the iirojier amount of lieat and moisture 



fl.l 



>f tl 



.i;(fk tli-e 



li,L:lit, whihi- (lie rolur, in- 

 iialh' JL dark cherry -red, 

 I vei-v altnirtive appear- 

 ■ ran'^c from 45° to 75°, 

 fatiirc llif.' Iiir;i:e'r the yield 

 r iiroduiT. The time rc- 

 latiii'il} tiiidei' tlie beiu'lu'.s 

 (|uir(Mi for f()r<-iug in tlie 



IS suppli 



h^af is in 



St. 'ad of 



which ,ii'i 



ance. The 



allhou.Ei'h the hiwer the t 



and hi^dier the quality 



quired for l.friu.i^nny; a cr.ip t 



is about the same as that 



Held. 



The method which is to be fidlowcd in the f>'rowinK '>f 

 this criq* for the wiiitrr luarket will depriid lari^tdy 

 u])on local conditions. When grown by any method 

 which r.^iiiiros the lifting of the roots, it must be 

 rrnif-nibrr.'d that they are worthless after having pro- 

 duced a cro]>; therefore this method cannot be practiced 

 with economy except where land and labor are cheap, 

 so that the roots may be produced at a slij,^ht expense, 

 or where roots may be secured which would otherwise 

 Im." destroyed. Be the method what it may, the roots to 

 In-- forced should be well developed and allowed to 

 freeze before forcing is attempted, otherwise failure 

 to secure a prolltable crop is certain. q_ j? Adams. 



RHtJS (ancient Greek name). A ndra r(h<)fe(r. Su- 

 JIACH. Trees or shrubs with alternate, usually odd- 

 pinnate Ivs. and no stipules: Hs. in axillary or terminal 

 panicles, small, whitish, greenish or yellow; calyx 

 .l-parted; petals 5 or .sometimes 4 or (i; stamens 4—10: 

 fr. a small dry drupe or berry, usually 1-seeded. Plants 

 with resinous or milky juice, wood often yellow: bark 

 and foliage abounding in tannin, and for this reason 

 used in dressing leatbor. 



All the species are Iteautiful and have been apparently 

 much neglected by planters. Any one who has observed 

 our native Sumachs cnvoriug rocky hillsides or liarren 

 railway l.iauks with their rich feru-Iike verdure during 

 sumnuer or when autumn has given them colors of tire, 

 should appreciate their value as subjects for orna- 

 mental planting. Some spe<-ies, to<i, retain their crim- 

 son fruit throughout the year, aud help to make bright 

 spots amid the snows of our northern winters. Some 

 of the stronger-growing species answer very well in 

 subtropical planting and may be cut to the ground 

 every year to encourage the strong young shoots that 

 give the most ample foliage. Some are admirable as 

 single specimens, having a j)ictures(pie character that 



iMiiiiiliiiii'iiiiiniiiMiiiii8iiifleHn"i>"K"iii- 



2114. House for the forcing of Rhubarb, covered w.ith movable sash. 



Roots for forcing under ii:reenhouse lien.dies and in 

 hotbeds should be from be<ls at least three or four years 

 old, as the larger .md mon- vigomns the roots the 

 better the results. Satisfactory results cannot be ob- 

 tained from inferior roots. The routs slimild bi' dn^ 

 early in the fall before the ground i'reezes and allowed 

 to remain exposed to the weather uidil tliev are frozen 

 solid, when it is best either to reineve lliem'to a shed or 

 cover them with lltrer in the liepl to prevent ahernate 

 freezing and tbawinir. <Jare shonld Ite taken lo h-ave 

 as much dirt upon tlie roots as possible wlien tliey are 

 dug. 



As soon as Uie roots are [daced in position under 



is quite refresh in;:'. "When i:'r<.iwn as standards, how- 

 ever, they are likely u> be short-lived, ond so the suc- 

 cession must lie provi.led for. The laciuiate varieties 

 of t^"o of our native species seem to give more leaf- 

 age than the types aud are \"ery useful in nuiss-plaut- 

 ing. All the species are easily propagated by seedj 

 bvvers, root-cnltiim's and sonie of them bv to])-cnttings. 

 The tenden<'y that some nf them have" to spread by 

 sn(d\ei-in^- is a disudvantagi- where they are used in line 

 lawns. 



Of ever one hundred known species only about six- 

 teen have been ill cultivation in this country, and these 

 all species ef ti'iuperate regimis; none of the tropical 



