1899 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
safety, and frequently, with increased profit, while ap¬ 
ples, pears, etc., may be kept much longer and put in 
the market in best condition when circumstances are 
most favorable. william d. barns. 
Orange County, New York. 
FORCING RHUBARB IN THE DARK. 
Part IV. 
An Account of a Little-known Industry. 
Boot Propagation. —Wishing to grow a half 
acre of roots this year, A. R. C., of Union, la., asks how 
he may get safely started. 
Root propagation is by far safer and shorter than 
growing from the seed. Rhubarb seed, like the seeds of 
fruits, cannot be relied upon to reproduce its own; and 
after all the time and labor expended in growing it large 
enough to determine what you have, you may be com¬ 
pelled to reject many of the plants as worthless. Mul¬ 
tiplying from the root is always safe, and you then know 
just what you have. If old roots are used, divide to one 
eye, leaving as much root as possible with each eye; 
set in rich ground four to six feet apart, according to 
variety; Victoria requires most space of all. Top-dress 
heavily with manure, Spring and Fall, keeping out all 
seed-stalks, as they tax the vitality of the roots very 
heavily. The stalks should not be picked the first year, 
but left to go back on the ground. The second year 
the stalks can be picked; and the roots will be ready 
for forcing in the Fall. A better way, however, will 
be to order young roots from some seed or nurseryman 
who can be relied upon to furnish true-to-name stock, 
and save all the large roots you have, or can procure 
for forcing next Winter. Set out as early as possible, 
and by heavy manuring and thorough cultivation, force 
them as fast as possible, for the roots will require all 
the vitality possible for good work in the cellar. 
Best Varieties. —Early Strawberry, Linmeus and 
Victoria are standard varieties, and will, I think, suc¬ 
ceed wherever rhubarb will grow. The Victoria is con¬ 
sidered best for forcing. The Mammoth, while inferior 
to none in size and flavor, has a green color, and is un¬ 
desirable for market purposes. 
Spraying: and Other Conditions. -T. J. P., 
Fullerton, Neb., writes: “I have a fine cellar, 22x100 
feet, under a brick building, and can connect with 
waterworks. Will not an occasional spraying be bene¬ 
ficial?” 
T. .T. P.’s cellar will, no doubt, be an admirable place 
for the work, and will require two small stoves, placing 
one 25 feet distant from each end of the cellar, which 
will distribute the heat, and give a more even tempera¬ 
ture than could be obtained from one. As to spraying, 
that will depend on the condition of the roots when 
placed in the cellar. If well filled with wet, frozen soil 
when set in, they will require very little water at first; 
later on it will help them, but hydrant water would be 
too cold; tepid water, and especially wash water, freely 
applied is good. A kettle of water kept on the stove will 
also help to supply moisture. If grown in soil that does 
not readily adhere to the roots when plowing out, it is 
well to turn a furrow from the row on each side, and 
let them remain standing until frozen to some extent 
before turning them out. This will help to hold the 
soil, but if it do not adhere, let them freeze and set in, 
filling closely with good soil; then it will be necessary to 
soak them pretty well. In this case, the water connec¬ 
tion would come in good play, as cold water applied be¬ 
fore heat is started, would do no harm. 
Age of Roots for Forcing.— For profitable re¬ 
sults, roots must be thrifty and strong (the larger the 
better), and not less than two to three years old. Doubt¬ 
less, most nurserymen would have them that, like other 
overgrown stock, could be purchased at a discount. The 
price and transportation would determine whether it 
were wise to buy them or procure younger roots and 
wait for the growth. If old roots are purchased, they 
should not be removed until Fall. In many localities, 
quite a quantity of roots might be gathered from neigh¬ 
bors at very little cost above the labor. 
Utilizing' Forced Roots. —As soon as the forc¬ 
ing season is over, remove the roots from the cellar, and 
slightly cover them. As soon as the ground will per¬ 
mit, divide them, and set out as directed under Root 
Propagation. This will, I think, cover the ground of 
the questions asked; but it leads to a 
Problem for the Future.— It will take time 
and planning to get well started in the work. But “be 
not dismayed for in due season ye shall reap if ye 
faint not.” Begin propagating this Spring, and in the 
meantime procure all the large roots possible for use in 
the Fall. The “tug of war” will come the first year; 
after that, if rightly managed, you will have a supply 
of roots for each season, and the returns will repay the 
labor. 
Rapid Growth.— Fig 11, page 19, shows a view 
of a cellar with the heat just started, and stalks just 
appearing on Dec. 14. Fig. 42 shows a view of the same 
cellar, stalks full grown, on Jan. 17. On Jan. 10,18 dozen 
were picked and sold at 70c. per dozen, or $12.60 for 
one picking. At this writing twice that amount is ready 
for the market. J. E. morse. 
FRUITS FOR AN ILLINOIS FARMER. 
Tough and Hardy Ones Wanted.—Ilow He Was Started. 
Why No Fruit'? —Four years ago I drove over into 
an adjoining county to see a farmer about a business 
matter. I had known him several years, and knew that 
lie grew good crops and raised good stock, and I was 
under the impression that he had a model home. Judge 
of my surprise when I drove up to his house and discov¬ 
ered that his premises were utterly bare of fruit tree or 
vine. With buildings, sheds and yard, all conveniently 
arranged, he appeared to be well provided; but not a 
fruit tree or vine was to be seen. The only representa¬ 
tive of “umbrageous shade” was a gaunt cottonwood 
standing near the kitchen door. In the course of our 
conversation I asked him why he had not set out some 
fruit trees. 
“Well,” said he, “I did set out an orchard several years 
ago, but the worms killed all the trees long before they 
reached bearing size, and I came to the conclusion that 
it doesn’t pay to waste money and time on such truck. 
When there’s a crop of apples, I can buy all I want for 
very little money, and when there’s no crop, I’m as well 
off as the man who has a big orchard—in fact, better off, 
because I have the use of the land that his orchard takes 
up. I have too much to do, anyway, to look after a lot 
of trees. I can raise a good calf for less money than a 
bunch of trees cost, and the calf will buy all the fruit 
we can eat in a year, and-” 
Fruits That Hustle,— “Now, look here,” I inter¬ 
rupted. “You are a practical man, and know how to 
treat a practical proposition. You like fruit, and so 
does your family. You know that a few fruit trees im¬ 
prove the appearance of a farm home very much, and 
that they can be so placed that they will take up very 
little land that can be used for any other purpose. I will 
admit that apple and peach trees must be looked after 
pretty closely, or they will perish; but there are other 
good fruits—cherries, grapes, gooseberries, currants, and, 
I might add, plums—that will, if you give them half a 
RHUBARB IN BLOOM. Fig. 42. 
chance, almost take care of themselves, and give you 
lots of excellent fruit. Why not set some of these near 
the house where they will be out of the way?” 
“I could do that, I suppose, but I had not thought of it. 
Now, supposing you were going to plant a few of these 
things you mention, where would you put them?” 
I never was more surprised. He had “tumbled” so 
suddenly that I almost doubted his sincerity. “Get out 
your book and pencil and Ave’ll go around and see what 
can be done, and jot it down as we go.” 
On Paper, Off Mind,— “That’s the way to do busi¬ 
ness,” he remarked. “Get it on paper, and it’s off your 
mind, and then you can think of something else.” 
We found room enough for 12 cherry trees between 
the house and front gate, one row on each side of the 
path. He had a regulation, fenced-in garden patch, and 
it was of good size, and the fence was a substantial one. 
Room along the east and north fences for 20 grape vines, 
five each of Moore’s Early and Niagara, and 10 Concord. 
Good place for two Worden by the smokehouse. Cur¬ 
rants along the west fence of the garden; would be 
sheltered from the afternoon sun, and sure to yield good 
crops. Gooseberries along the south fence, where shade 
would be just right to insure lots of fruit. 
Between the house and barn, six plums, two Burbank, 
two Abundance, two Blue Damson. Along the driveway 
to the front gate, eight pears, Kieffer and Koonce alter¬ 
nately. The cherries were equal numbers of Early 
Richmond and English Morello. Some of this collection 
is not what might be termed extra good varieties, but all 
are good enough for a beginner who expects the trees to 
take care of themselves. 
I have met this man several times since he planted 
the trees and vines, and he is actually becoming quite 
proud of his collection. I passed his house about two 
months ago, and noticed that the trees have made a fine 
growth, while his garden fence and smokehouse were 
covered with the grape vines. Almost all men like fruit 
and will grow it if they are started with strong, hardy, 
safe varieties. Start them right and they rarely fall by 
the wayside. FRED GRUNDY. 
Morrison County, Illinois. 
115 
"BOTH USEFUL AND ORNAMENTAL." 
The Tomato as a Handsome Vine. 
What sort of figure would the tomato cut as an orna¬ 
mental vine? This question occurred to us more than 
20 years ago. One each of a yellow and red variety 
was planted in front of the barn. The plants were 
watered as often as needed, and trained up the barn, 
cutting off all laterals that were not needed for fruit. 
These two vines grew to the height of 18 feet before 
they were killed by frost in late October. They bore 
quantities of fruit from near the ground to the very tips 
—yellow, red and green. We do not know of any plants 
we have ever raised that attracted so much pleased at¬ 
tention from our friends who saw them. 
Mr. John D. Gill sent us a photograph from which 
Fig. 37 was engraved. It shows a single plant trained 
up to stakes. It grew to the height of “over 13 feet, and 
its many branches measured 1,060 feet in length. It 
bore over 1,100 ripe tomatoes of a bright yellow color, 
and about as large as a medium-sized plum. When frost 
nipped the vine, there were over 1,000 green tomatoes, 
that needed only a little more warm weather to bring 
them to perfection.” 
It would seem that one such vine as this should supply 
a moderate-sized family with all the tomatoes it needs 
during the tomato season. 
A Commercial Pear Orchard. 
I wish to set a small commercial orchard of pears, and 
desire Fall and Winter varieties. I have about concluded to 
try Angoulfime, Anjou, Kieffer, Clairgeau and Lawrence. 
Which of these varieties are' better as dwarfs, and which as 
standards? How should they be planted with reference to 
pollenizing one another? What about the Wragg cherry 
compared with the Morello? c. w. M. 
Newark, Ohio. 
The list as given is very good. All of them are good 
market varieties. Angouleme is much the best on dwarf 
stock, and Anjou, Lawrence and Clairgeau do very well 
as dwarfs, and as standards, too. It might be well to 
plant standard trees 25 feet apart each way, and fill be¬ 
tween one way with dwarfs, making the trees 12% 
by 25 feet. This would give ample room for cultivation 
one way for many years. The dwarf trees should be 
dug out as their room is needed by the standards. An¬ 
other very good plan is, to plant dwarf pear trees quite 
deep, which will cause them to send out pear roots above 
the quince stock, and to become almost as thrifty as 
standards when they get old. Angouleme and Lawrence 
are self-fertile, while Anjou, Clairgeau and Kieffer are 
more or less self-sterile, and need to be plauted near the 
other kinds. In a small orchard it would not be neces¬ 
sary to use any care in this regard, but in a large orchard, 
where the varieties might be widely separated, there 
would be such necessity. The Wragg cherry is considered 
by some who have it to be the same as the English 
Morello, while others claim that they are nearly alike, 
yet distinct. It is certain that the trees under both 
names bear abundantly of fruit that is of excellent qual¬ 
ity and very late in ripening. There are many kinds of 
sour cherries that are called “Morello,” and it is a type 
name rather than one which is applied to any specific 
variety. _ 
Scions. 
Paradise Stock. —The Paradise apple is said to be the 
Russian Pyrus prsecox. How the name Paradise was be¬ 
stowed upon it is an unknown matter. This stock was fully 
discussed in The R. N.-Y. last year. 
The New Jersey Experiment Station has obtained good 
results with tomatoes on light soil by using the following 
mixture: 160 pounds of nitrate of soda, 320 pounds of dis¬ 
solved bone black and 160 pounds of muriate of potash. 
At the Connecticut Pomologlcal Meeting, the question of 
grafting Japan plums on peach roots came up. A number of 
growers stated that Burbank, in particular, seems to be bet¬ 
ter on peach roots, but the majority of the large growers 
agreed that plum roots are, on the whole, safer and better. 
Dwarf Pot-Grown Apples.—A friend inquires whether 
some of the dwarf apples on Paradise stock could be grown 
in large pots or tubs, and treated like ornamental shrubs. 
They are certainly sufficiently attractive to be grown as orna¬ 
mentals, but could only be regarded as horticultural toys un¬ 
der such treatment. 
Cow Peas and Strawberries. —The value of cow peas in 
Intensive culture is Illustrated by the practice of a Connecti¬ 
cut strawberry grower. This man plows under the straw¬ 
berry vines after picking, and at once sows cow peas. These are 
permitted to die down on the ground, and the following Spring 
they are plowed under, and strawberries are set out again. 
We think it would be much better to drill the peas in rows 
three feet apart, and keep them constantly cultivated. While 
there would be a smaller growth of vine, the cultivation 
would tend to keep down the following crop of White grubs. 
The Home Nurseryman. —There are no “horticultural se¬ 
crets” that our experiment stations do not understand. The 
Ohio Station gives the good advice that the home nursery 
usually has a good assortment of varieties. If the upright, 
nearby nurseryman does not have the new sorts that are so 
highly cracked up by the agent, it is good proof that they are 
untested. The home nurseryman can secure new varieties 
as easily as the agent, and before buying a lot of trees of 
some unknown stranger, a man should always consult a nur¬ 
seryman of experience, and time spent in talking with fruit 
growers who make a living at tfce business Is always well 
spent. 
