1912. 
3L’5 
<THED KUKA1. NEW-YORKEH 
FORCING WINTER RHUBARB. 
0. T. II., Fairmount, W. Va. —Can rhu¬ 
barb be successfully forced In Winter? Will 
one of your readers tell us all about how 
to do it? What kind of place is required? 
What is the best temperature? How much 
will a root produce and how long does it 
take to grow it? What varieties are best 
for this purpose? What does it generally 
retail for? Is the business profitable? 
Ans. —Prepare the ground same as 
for potatoes; plant three feet apart in 
rows three and one-half feet apart in 
rich heavy soil, the richer the better so it 
is not too light; rhubarb requires heavier 
soil than most other things to do the 
best. Cultivate every two weeks the 
first year; second year we cover in 
Spring eyes or crowns of roots with 
a large fork and grain shovel full of 
burnt-out manure or straw manure, so 
as to pull early stalks in Spring, when 
it is in demand. This also acts as 
mulch next year, and to keep down 
weeds, but when done pulling cultivate 
same as first year. Then if season and 
soil were all right roots ought to be as 
big as an ordinary bushel basket or half 
anyway, and can be taken out and 
forced. If it has gone through a dry 
season one more year or sometimes two 
are required to perfect roots so as to 
be large and solid for best results. 
In forcing we take a breaking plow, 
two, three and four horses, enough to 
do the work, and plow around the rhu¬ 
barb patch as close to roots as possible; 
then take root out on single furrow, 
set up on plowed ground and go at it 
again till all are out wanted; then set 
hotbed boxes in sheltered place, dig 
out about four to six inches soil. Boxes 
we use are six feet by 12. Haul roots 
to boxes carefully, not to shake all 
dirt off; set in boxes as close as pos¬ 
sible, crowns up, fill cracks and cover 
crowns with fine light soil. Be careful 
not to injure crowns in handling. Be¬ 
fore taking with plow we like to have 
roots freeze a little; that is ground 
froze about three or four inches. If it 
does not freeze, then we let set in boxes 
after soil is on crowns and freeze as 
hard as it wants to till about New Years 
or middle of January; then set an 
empty box on top of this one, cover 
with boards and double cover so as to 
keep manure water out of bed and off 
rhubarb stems; then bank outside of 
boxes. We set two boxes lengthwise 
side by, side so forcing two at once. 
Bank with cold manure or manure that 
has lost first heat 18 inches wide at 
bottom, tapering to 12 inches at level 
with top of boxes, outside of boxes. 
Then we have hot horse-manure piled 
up for the purpose in first heat which 
cover over top one foot deep and in 
about one week examine bed as to tem¬ 
perature. Do not let bed get over 65° 
or 75° at most, or stalks will bleach and 
spindle. According to weather in about 
three or four weeks you can pull rhu¬ 
barb that will look like a lot of old- 
fashioned candy. I have opened beds at 
times so full of tops that you could put 
your hand against one corner and shake 
the whole bed of stalks. I am now 
right in the middle of the forcing sea¬ 
son, and have some to pull next week 
if zero weather will let up; if not I 
will use a tent to cover over bed. Steam 
from hot manure which is in bed will 
go against canvas tent, freeze, and you 
can pull at your leisure. 
You can force in cellars or caves or 
any place that can be heated up to 60 
degrees; barn cellar is an ideal place, 
but I like hotbed boxes, for I can drive 
up to them, lift roots in, and when done 
crop has been pulled two or three times 
and roots will do no more. We can 
load up in wagon much easier to haul 
out in field for manure, for when rhu¬ 
barb root has been forced the crop 
is the life of root, and it dies; it is no 
good only for fertilizer after that. 
Now as to selling; I do not have to 
hunt customers; they find me and I 
grade my crop so as to have three 
grades. The largest I call fancy, and 
tie up for 10 cents the bunch, three or 
four stalks to bunch; the next, medium, 
which I generally wholesale for about 
70 to 90 cents a dozen bunches. The 
small is the very slender and white 
stems for which I receive five cents 
the bunch. I retail most all of my 
product. The best varieties are the old- 
fashioned red wine plant, and Linnaeus. 
Dayton, Ohio. e. n. b. 
SPRING WORK ON THE TRUCK FARM. 
PART II. 
Early Peas. —With the melon ground 
ready our next work usually con¬ 
sists of planting early peas. We 
have put this crop in on March 
4 but the 15th is more nearly 
an average date. For early peas we 
manured with well-rotted cow manure 
distributed in the furrow. Unless the 
ground is quite damp it is best to cover 
the manure with a layer of soil before 
sowing the seed. If soil is wet, how¬ 
ever, we have found it an advantage to 
sow the peas directly on the manure. 
Early Cabbage. —The next crop to 
claim our attention is early cabbage. The 
time of planting varies with the season, 
but is usually done as soon after March 
15 as possible. The variety grown is 
Early Jersey Wakefield. Seed is sown 
in the cold frame about November 20. 
They are carried over Winter in the cold 
frame and by planting time have made 
good plants. As they have had no arti¬ 
ficial heat they are in condition (by pro¬ 
per regulation of ventilation and water¬ 
ing, the last two weeks of growth) to 
withstand almost any amount of frost, 
or even light freezes. These hardy plants 
take hold quickly and make early heads. 
The ground for cabbage is plowed, ma¬ 
nured, marked out and fertilized the 
same as for onions, with low flat ridges 
made up 2)4 feet apart. Plants are set 
18 inches apart in the row. We use the 
“puncher and tongs” for setting cabbage 
plants and can do fully as good work 
with more ease and rapidity than with 
trowel or dibble. In passing I might say 
we find the puncher and tongs to be 
about the only practical hand transplant¬ 
ing machine for work in our sandy soil. 
They are cheap, easily made, can be used 
for a variety of plants and as there is 
no stooping they are much more pleasant 
to work than a trowel. This machine is 
used throughout this section for setting 
sweet potato plants. A skilled workman 
with boy to drop plants can set 14,000 
to 18,000 plants a day, while experts 
have set 20,000 or more a day. 
Strawberry Planting. —After cab¬ 
bage are in we try if possible to set the 
new bed of strawberries. We have a 
few fields of heavy sandy loam, rather 
low, that grow good Gandy strawberries. 
These are good shippers, and we make 
them our main variety. Ground has 
been plowed in the Fall, and unless prev¬ 
iously enriched is at that time broadcast 
with 10 tons of manure to the acre, this 
manure is now harrowed in and plants 
set in rows 4)4 feet apart and 18 inches 
in the row. They are allowed to fill up 
and make matted rows; however, we 
prefer having the plants grow rather 
thinly in the row, otherwise they will 
be too close for best berries. No fer¬ 
tilizer is used when setting plants, but 
on old beds at this season we sometimes 
apply a light top dressing of high grade 
fertilizer with good results provided they 
were not heavily mulched with manure 
the previous Fall, or the ground not too 
rich. On rich ground we find it a detri¬ 
ment to fertilize heavily in the Spring 
when berries are grown in matted rows, 
for the foliage will be entirely too dense 
and berries soft. If there is time after 
strawberries are set we prepare the 
ground for cantaloupes, cucumbers and 
squashes, furrow it out and manure, 
placing a large shovelful of fine hog 
manure in each hill and cover as for 
watermelons in preparation for planting. 
However, this work usually waits until 
the first of April, for from March 20 
to April 1 most of the time is spent 
around the cold frames and hothouses 
in making beds and transplanting the 
tomato, eggplant and pepper plants, also 
in making beds for growing sweet po¬ 
tato plants. 
Keeping Qualities of Phosphate. 
Will phosphate containing ammonia lose 
any of its value by keeping over one year 
in a dry place in the barn? l. l. r. 
Pennsylvania. 
We presume you mean a mixed fertilizer. 
A true “phosphate” contains little plant 
food except phosphoric acid. There will bo 
little or no loss of ammonia if the bags are 
kept dry. There must be both heat and 
moisture to start fermentation. The fer¬ 
tilizer will probably harden or “cake” so it 
will not drill so well. 
Beets and Slavery. —I read the article 
of T. F. upon “Sugar Beet Culture and 
Slavery” to my wife, and as I finished the 
article I remarked to her: “The picture 
is too true. It ought to appeal to every 
student of sociology and political economy. 
What kind of citizens will those poor chil¬ 
dren make?” And she replied: “Just the 
kind the politicians want.” 
Michigan. "uncle dick." 
Big Bargains in 
QUAKER CITY 
When you write advertisers mention The 
R. N.-Y. and you’ll get a quick reply and a 
“square deal.” See guarantee editorial page. 
FEED MILLS ■flBB 
The standard of quality for 41 years. 23 styles, 1 
from hand to 20 horsepower. 
Freight Paid, Sent on Free Trial. lA 
Grind Corn and Cob, Feed, 
Taule Meal, Shuck and Kaffir S '—- 
Corn and all kinds of small Krain, 
separately or mixed. If the mill ,, K 
Is not entirely satisfactory after VIHiV???- 'p&di } 
trial, return It at our expense. ©sSu&H 'f! ,. ■ iVYI ] 
We also handle Engines, Cutters, 
Shelters. Send for Free Catalog, t 
The A. W. Straub Co. . FaF 
Dept. E, 8740 Filbert St., Philn V o. 
Dopt. T, 3709 S.Asbland Av.,Chicago,111.T- 
’ Get the Real Truth About 
KEROSENE ENGINES 
A Perfect Kerosene Engine for farm ose at last! Act¬ 
ually gives 25 to 30 per cent more power from the same amount of 
fuel. Earns its whole cost in a year by Bavin# in cost to operate. 
Get Posted on the UTICA —the Only Long-Stroke 
Farm Engine. Absolutely nothing like it on the market 
A size and type for every purpose. Ten-year guarantee. Free 
Write for FREE Engine Book B.F. and Special Offer 
The handsomest and most valuable farm on 
frine book ever published.and full particulars ft 
of our Special Offer SENT FREE. SO days’ 
Trial; extra liberal offer. A postal 
brings everything. Address 
Xargil Manufacturing Co* 
73 Lafayette St. p Jjf 
tJTica. Np'jv York /ini cv-—-■—- ■ -"SlSjS 
’ -a- ~ ' — A ^ 
Power at Low Cost 
Kerosene as Fuel 
TTERE is Power for you that can always he 
JT1 relied upon. The Colton Modern Kerosene 
Engine is the most economical, simplest and 
most reliable Farm Power Plant yet invented. Its 
many new improved patented features are most 
valuable and are not found oil any other engine 
Power is constant, speed regulated without stopping 
engine—ad justs itself instantly to any overload—no 
cranking to start It. 
Let this wonderful engine demonstrate its unusual 
value to you. Connect it to your water system, 
lighting system, pumps or any other machinery. If 
it doesn’t prove a great money and labor saver, 
return it and get your money back. 
The Colton operates perfectly on kerosene, the 
most economical and satisfactory fuel. Kerosene can 
be purchased anywhere at about half the cost of gas¬ 
oline, is much safer to handle and gives more power 
gallon for gallon, than gasoline. Gasoline, alcohol’ 
distilate, and other fusel oil may also he used. 
Positive, Unconditional Guaranty 
Every Colton is sold under a positive, unqualified 
guarantee to give satisfactory service or money re¬ 
funded. Our company has been established 27 years 
You need an engine on your farm—so investigate 
the Colton—the latest 
find 
Keep This 
Great Engine 
We will ship you Schmidt’s Chilled Cylinder 
Gasoline Engine on your simple request with¬ 
out an order or any promise from you. You use 
the engine 10 whole days—use it all you want. 
Then if you don’t want it send it back at our 
expense. If you do wish to keep it, pay us 
only $7.50 and you can pay the rest In 
the easiest monthly payments. 
We .and you the engine free, to prove to you that It 
Is the greatest air cooled 3 horse power engine on earth. 
Also your choice of H. P. and 7 H. P. engines. 
We Wc.nt you to see for yourself that it is better than any 
other engine that costs twice and three times as much — 
the only engine that has the powerful chilled cylinder. 
Ten DaysTrial FREE 
This is the first genuine free trial ever offered on gasoline 
engines for farm and shop use. We want you to see that 
women and children can run tbi9 engine. Use the engine 
to run the pumps and any other machinery you may have. 
Schmidt’s Chilled CyhnderGasoline Engine is absolutely 
guaranteed for five years in every piece and part. 
The biggest bank in Iowa backs our Sl.flOOchallangeoffcr. 
Send For FREE Catalog. 
Write to us promptly for particulars and we will send you 
a copy of our new book. “How to UsePowei,” free 
and postpaid. Write to us today. 
Schmidt Bros. Co. Engine Works 
DEPARTMENT 4293 DAVENPORT, IOWA 
Suppose Your Roof was 
a Slab of Stone! 
You wouldn’t think of putting 1 paint 
or gravel on it to water-proof and 
preserve it. 
You wouldn’t worry about it rotting, 
rusting, drying out, melt- 
i ing or deteriorating in any 
way. 
And you wouldn’t be 
alarmed if sparks or burn¬ 
ing embers fell on your 
roof. 
J-M Asbestos Roofing is 
practically such a stone 
roofing. 
consists of layer on layer of Asbestos (stone) Felt securely 
cemented together with Trinidad Lake Asphalt—two indestruct¬ 
ible minerals. J-M Asbestos Roofing is therefore practically 
indestructible. This is proven by the fact that it is still in 
good condition on many buildings where it has been in service for more 
than a quarter century without paint, gravel or repairs. 
It has withstood the fierce flames of a plumber’s blow torch for nearly an 
hour without injury or without the boards to which it was nailed being 
even scorched. 
Half a century of roofing experience and our positive guarantee of 
satisfaction is behind J-M Asbestos Roofing. 
This roofing is suitable for all kinds of buildings in any climate. 
Your dealer sells J-M Asbestos Roofing—if not, send your order to our 
nearest Branch. 
Sample of Asbestos Rock, FREE 
We want to send you a sample of the odd rock from which this roofing 
is made. Simply write our nearest house on a postal and ask for a piece 
of crude Asbestos and Book No. 48. 
H. W. JOHNS-MANVILLE CO. 
Manufacturers of Asbestos /j$8 E5T0S 
and Magnesia Products •>•*• 
Baltimore Cleveland Kansas City Minneapolis 
Boston Dallas Los Angeles New Orleans 
Chicago Detroit Milwaukee New York 
Asbestos Roofings, Packings, 
Electrical Supplies, Etc. 
Omaha _ St. Louis 
Philadelphia San Francisco 
Pittsburgh Seattle 
For Canada:-THE CANADIAN H. W. JOHNS-MANVILLE CO., LIMITED 
Toronto, Ont. Montreal. Que. Winnipeg. Man. Vancouver, B.C. 1578 
