The Butler weekly times. (Butler, Mo.) 1881-1918, 1904-09-08
A RhUBEnS KING.
A Former Bankers New Trail
to F0rtune-He Raises Pie
plant All Winter.

The financial panic Of 1896 made
many changes in tie occupation oil
men. Bankers became farmers and
miners became tramps. Few of those
unfortunate losers OF all they pos.
sessed entered fields Of labor they
had expected. Many we're compelled
to accept the offers that came their
way.
So it was that W. IL. Paulhamus,
a bank cashier, was forced out on n
a little farm near Seattle, Wash.
The property did not pay its way,
and prospects for making Il living
were not very bright.
Six acres were planted to pieplant,
rhubarb. Farmers gazed in wonder
ment at the man, as that area repre-
sented the largest tract ever devoted
to that crop in the state. The roots
planted we're of the old English Lin
naeus variety. They were set in rows
four feet apart each way, and cult
waited with a pillow. The land had
been preoccupied by an orchard com
prising good varieties of apples,
pears and cherries. These trees wei
left to stand
The farm required much iertilizing
and constat working togive returns,
But two crops on the same area,
when carefully handled brought
results In the past four years the
rhubarb has sold for $500 to 500
an acre. From the trees overshad-
owing the pie plant the crops OF fruit
have returned more than 800 an
acre annually. Thus the banker has
become the capitalist, and is now
known as the "rhubarb king"
But the banker-rhubarb king of
Washington does not depend on the
summer crop alone He has pie-plant
every month in the year. His profits
are made on the winter output from
q house constructed for the purpose.
This house is built out OF common
lumber and built as cheaply as q
poultry house. 1t is perfectly dark
and only about seven feet high. On
the first day Of January the rhubarb
roots are set In the house in beds
made OF earth and manure. A fire
is built in the stove that furnishes
heat and the temperature is kept up
to 10 degrees.
Two weeks after planting the roots
the winter rhubarb house has stalks
ready for market. These are sold
throughout the northwest to regular
patrons at twenty-five cents a pound.
The market continues from the mid
die OF January until the middle OF
March. AS an illustration of the
money made In winter rhubarb
house, this W Westinghouse has one
small place, twenty by thirty feet,
costing $40 reconstruct, that brings
him an average OF $500 every year
for winter rhubarb grown In the
house. That was his experimental
winter house.
And the pie plant has developed
other paying propositions on the
little farm OF forty seven acres. The
owner has fifteen acres planted in
raspberries and blackberries. When
the market for rhubarb lie over he
ships berries. His income from that
acreage has never been less than 5000
an acre during the past four years.
The highest returns ranged from
5000 to $3.50 an acre. An army Of
pickers is necessary, but the net re.
suits represent handsome returns on
the investment, and makes the owner
also a berry king.
Poultry will pasture In the berry
fields and not disturb either the
blossoms or fruits. They destroy
the insects and kin out the weeds, in
addition to iertilizing the land. Be-
cause Of these arguments the rhu.
barb king has flock OF several hun
dred Leghorn and Plymouth Rock
chickens. he sells cases Of eggs every
day. Each egg bears his label with
name, date Of taking from the coops
and time Of shipment. When ordi.
nary ranch eggs are selling in the
open market for fifteen cents per dog
On be disposes Of his at private sale
for iorty-hve cents per dozen.
Bsoides the rhubarb fields another
- aers tract devoted to asparagus