SUCCESS WITH SMALL FRUITS— RHUBARB 



23 



RHUBARB 



Rhubarb is especially the crop of the middle and 

 northern states. South of Virginia, except in the high 

 mountain sections, the crop seldom succeeds. In all 

 the warmer parts of the South strong roots may give one 

 crop, but will generally die out by the end of the first 

 season. 



Hence there is no value in Rhubarb as a crop for com- 

 mercial purposes in the South. But from Maryland 

 northward Rhubarb flourishes to great perfection. The 

 plants can be grown from seed, but it is far better for the 

 intending planter to get good strong roots from the 

 Nursery. 



These can be set either in spring or fall, though the 

 fall of the year is the best time. A good plan in the home- 

 garden is to set the roots about 4 feet apart each way, and 

 in early spring turn a barrel over each plant, and pack 

 all. around with hot stable manure. The shoots will 

 then be produced in a blanched condition in the barrels 

 and can be gathered much earlier than if left to the natural 

 growth, and the quality will be much better. 



Rhubarb can also be grown in winter in a warm cellar 

 by packing strong roots in soil and attending to the keep- 

 ing up of the moisture. Houses built after the fashion of 

 greenhouses, with hot-water pipes to maintain a tempera- 

 ture of 40 to 45 degrees at night, and with close shingle 

 roof with ventilators at intervals, can be packed with 

 strong roots and a large crop produced. Of course any of 



these forcing methods means the exhaustion of the roots, 

 and a new supply of roots must be maintained to replace 

 those that are too weak to produce strong stalks. 



Rhubarb can also be forced under the benches of an 

 ordinary greenhouse if there is room there for the roots 

 and the piping is not in the way. For ordinary outdoor 

 cultivation the roots should be planted 4 feet apart each 

 way, in heavily manured soil, for it is useless to try to 

 grow fine stalks of Rhubarb in a poor soil. The plant is 

 not particular as to the character of the soil, provided it 

 is made rich. The earliest crops in the open ground are 

 grown in a warm, sandy soil, but the largest crops are 

 usually produced in a strong clay loam. The plantation 

 must be kept manured annually and will last for many 

 years. In a very strong soil it may be better to make the 

 rows 6 feet apart and plant 4 feet apart in the rows. 

 The varieties most generally grown are the Linnaeus and 

 the Victoria. When intended for winter forcing the roots 

 should be three to four 3^ears old. 



A good crop of rhubarb in any year depends in a great 

 measure on the strong gro^vth of the plants during the 

 previous season. The seed stalks should therefore be cut 

 off as fast as they grow, thus iorcing the energy of the 

 plant into producing foliage and roots, and storing up 

 vitality to make a quick growth in early spring. The cul- 

 tivation consists mainly in keeping dow^n weeds and pre- 

 serving a mulch until the .eaves cover the ground. 



