388' Halstkd : Influexce of wet Wkatiier 



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There arc no extensive data in connection with the asparagus 

 rust as it was unknown here until 1896, but during the two 

 years it has appeared the midsummers have been wet, but only 

 slightly so in 1896 and not at all comparable with 1889 and 1897, 



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Phytophtho} 



The observations thus far made are not sufficient for any gen- 

 eralization, but the evidence points to the opinion that a wet April 

 and May will prepare the way for an abundance of fungi that come 

 in early June. This will include particularly the bacterial troubles 

 of the orchard and fruit garden, 



A wet June and July is apt to bring a failure, whole or partial, 

 of the potato crop almost as certainly as the decay of stone fruits 

 with Monilia. And should August be rainy in addition the 

 chances of a grape crop become very small. 



As has been suggested, the rain gauge does not tell the whole 

 story. There may be cloudy weather without rainfall and great 

 humidity without precipitation. Therefore guiding principles are 

 far to seek so long as the several meteorological factors admit of 

 infinite combinations. 



The problem as it lies before us does not lend itself easily to 

 the experimental method, simply because climate cannot be varied 

 at will and applied locally as the student may desire. Something 

 may be done in supplying water artificially in the various ways of 

 modern irrigation ; but this does not affect the atmosphere that 

 plays in far reaching breezes, blowing for days at a time and from 

 long distances. However, something has been attempted in this 

 direction at the New Jersey Experiment Station and the following 

 is gathered from the notes upon the subject. With turnips the 

 irrigation experiments in 1896 showed that water may be applied 

 to advantage in a dry season, "provided the ground was not in- 



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fested with club-root, in which case the additional water only in- 

 creased the virulence of the root malady," 



The same printed report shows that for tomatoes the larger 

 amount of fruit decay is upon the irrigated land, partly due to 

 their being a larger percentage of those that cracked and became 

 worthless. The irrigated plants presented a somewhat better ap- 

 pearance than those not receiving water, because there was more 



