Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1904-12-01
The Winter Rhubarb-Hous

The Winter Rhubarb- House.
A winter rhubarb-house is one of
the most profitable small places on
the farm. One of these simple build
ngs, costing $40, brings the owner
from $500 to $500 every winter. The
| house is owned by resident of SUM-
ner, a small country village, near
Seattle, Wash, says a Washington
correspondent of the Country Gentle.
man. He was once engaged as a
banker, but left the money changers
to make a small farm. He is refer
red to as 1.-The rhubarb king" His
paintings consist of six acres for the
summer crop. The field is cultivated
in about the same manner as pieplant
1 everywhere. But the winter house is
the only one in the state. The build
| ing Is so feet long, 20 feet wide and
/ feet on either side. The gables ex-
i tend up seven feet. The lumber is
rlain and put up and down after the
old Yankee frame pattern. There is
door in one end, but no windows or
other places for light to enter. A small
round cannon-ball stove supplies the
heat required. 1t is fed with coal.
The stove pipe reaches from one end
10 the other and out at a fue. This
| leeps the temperature at the required
degree by occasional filling of the
stove.
After the holidays the man wheels
ia ordinary sandy soil, and banks up
to the depth of about six inches The
floor is of earth. When this soil at
tains a temperature of about 60 de-
Grees, the rhubarb roots from tho
fields are dug up and placed on the
soil, packed as closely together as pos
sible The crowns are covered with
soil, or sand, and then a layer Of barn
yard litter or manure is placed on top.
Then the whole thing is wet thor
oushly with liquid fertilizers. In a
few days the rhubarb sprouts appear
md within two weeks from planting
can be picked for market The stalks
arow without leaves. they shoot up
to about two feet in height and have
only a slight curled top where the
leaf ought to be. This top is not
over two inches in diameter. The
stems, or stalks, when broken from
the roots, resemble wax. They are
brittle and almost clear in color. They
are marketed in the cities of Puget
sound and some is shipped to British
Columbia. The grower never places
any on the general market. He con-
tracts with hotel keepers and fancy
restaurant propretors for the output
This sometimes reaches 400 pounds at
a shipment The plants keep grow
ing until March.
Winter rhubarb sells on the Pacific
coast at about 25 cents a pound. There !
is practically no end to the demand. !
as it never even gets on the market. !
The grower receives orders from many |
points and is compelled to decline
filing them, because he cannot disap-
point his regular patrons This shows |
the condition Of the trade and the
necessity for many others to enter the .
patrons. 1t comes on at a time when
nothing else is available for the tart J.
sauce demanded by epicures and others
willing to pay we'll for what they eat
Il field is open for the small farmer
and gardener in the vicinity of large
cities. Such houses can he construct
Cd cheaply anywhere. The prices of
lumber of course vary with location
Lut a building ought not to cost over
$75 in any state, The work is easy
and the profits large Rhubarb roots
are easily grown from seed in the gar
cen beds The plant is something that
should be found on every farm. There
are different varieties, but any Of the
commercial sorts may be forced in
dark, warm house where thero Is .
r.outy Of soil ana moisture at the
roots,