The Black Hills union and western stock review. [volume] (Rapid City, S.D.) 1904-19??, 1906-01-12
Res III WINTER.

Professor Craig reminds readers OF the
Michigan Farmer that all lovers OF fresh
rhubarb and asparagus who have a Few
hills in the garden may with little m
and expense nave these fresh vegetables
for the table all winter. Last year just
before tho ground was frozen 1 looscned q
few hills of rhubarb with the spade, lcav-
ing quite a little soil on them. These roots
were left in the garden exposed to the
frost until February 4 when they were
brought In and put into a room IN the Gel
lar. The soil and roots were frozen so
hard that they were handled like SO many
stones. The roots were placed right side
up on the floor as closely together as pos
sible. being careful to cover all exposed
roots with loose soil to prevent them from
drying out. AS soon as the frost was all
out of the soil the whole bed was thor
oughly watercd and the windows dark
cned. The temperature of the room was
about 80 degrees Fahrenheit through the
season. The first stalks were gathered on
March 6 and the last on April II. ! did
not weigh the product. but ! am sure each
plant produced as much as eight pounds of
handsome, del.cately colored stalks of
good quality. When properly cooked the
sauce certainly appeared pretty and tasted
better than any rhubarb L ever ate in the
spring.
Some work can be saved by removing
tue EUOtS IEOll Lie SdtuGl "LlSl l1Cy are,
dug and place them In an open shed to
freeze, where they can be easily reached.
This avoids the trouble of going out into
the snow when they are to be placed Into
the cellar to force. and also makes 1t cas-
Ter to place Il few roots in the cellar at
intervals of about three or -four weeks de
pending upon the temperature) 10 produce
a succession of crops all winter.
Rhubarb roots of any age may be used
for forcing, but good healthy plants that
have grown one season In the garden give
best results. The plant stores up elab-
Grated food in its roots while it is grow
ing in the garden, to start growth as soon
as the temperature of the soil gets a lit
tic above the freezing point the following
spring. Quitting the roots into the cellar
hastens the coming of spring.. When the
room Is perfectly 6ark the leaves do not
open. but remain small (and Of a yellowish
COLOR, which is desirable in winter rhu-
barb. Plants grown In the dark do not
take food from the soil, therefore it is moi
necessary to have any more on the roots
than is NEEDED to keep them moist. This
fact makes it possible to put a great man.
roots IN a comparatively small place.
The temperature in the cellar should no
be allowed to go below the freezing point
but it may vary from a few degrees above
80 degrees Fahrenheit to rs degrees Fab
rehheit with out any damage to the plants
The higher the temperature the taste
the. stalks will grow and vice versa. Al
these conditions can be met in most an.
cellar.
Rhode Island experiment station .trie,
some experiments with rhubarb to deter
mine whether it was necessary to ALLOW
the roots to freeze. and they found it al
most impossible to force the plants with
out first suhjecting them to frosts.
Asparagus can be forced in exactly tn
same way as rhubarb.