J-24 Report of the Botanist of thb 



money crop, by its attacks, not only in this State but also in 

 other sections of this country, convinced us that it was necessary 

 to determine definitely whether there could not be found some 

 method or combination of methods by which this trouble can be 

 controlled. It was also desirable to determine whether such 

 methods could be put to practical use by the growers of aspara- 

 gus. Some practical results have already been obtained and, as 

 delay means additional loss each year to growers, the following 

 preliminary report on the work is given. 



HISTORY AND DISTRIBUTION OF THE RUST. 



Asparagus rust has been known in Europe for nearly one hun- 

 dred years_, although English writers on asparagus culture do not 

 mention its occurrence in that country until about 187G. Barnes 

 and Bobinson^ state that its attacks on the part above ground 

 have an unfavorable effect on the roots, checking their develop- 

 ment. This causes a material reduction of the yield the succeed- 

 ing spring owing to the premature ripening of many of the plants. 

 Although the above writers were not positive regarding the 

 nature of the disease, they were sure of its dangerous character 

 and recommended that growers be careful to prevent its spread 

 or its importation into districts that were free from it. 



Although asparagus growers on Long Island and in the vicinity 

 of Cape Cod believe they saw the effects of the asparagus rust 

 in their fiel ' ^ as early as 1895, it was practically unknown in this 

 country until 1896. In that year Dr. Halsted^ announced the 

 occurrence of an outbreak of the asparagus rust in New Jersey. 

 This announcement led to the discovery that the disease was 

 already established in the asparagus fields of Delaware, Long 

 Jaland and New England. Since 1896 it has been very destruc- 

 tive in these localities and has spread south into the Carolinas 

 and west to Kansas, Iowa and Wisconsin. 



/Asparagus Culture, p. 22. 



*Halsted, B. D. An Outbreak of Asparagus Rust. N. J. Agr. Exp. 

 Stas., Circular, Sept. 18, 1896. 



