484 KKl'olM' (»K OKKICK <>K KXl'KRIMP^NT STATIONS. 



hni\v tlrcssini^- of Iciniyard iiianurc, well worked into (lie soil. 'I'lic 

 rows ;irc 4.1 ftM't jii):irt. tlir plants trrowinji^ thickly in {\\(\ rows in a 

 mass li' to HI inclu's wide. The land slopes jfcntly to the south. Tlio 

 ii"i"iiiation ditches were made hy furrows with a single-shoved plow 

 w^)rkiii<i" as near the plants asi)ossihle without injuiin*^- them. 'l'iirou<i;h 

 these furrows water was allowed to run until the soil was thorouj^hl}' 

 saturatetl. The total amount of water api)lied in two days, AuLj'ust 10 

 and ri, was 2.4 inehes, over the area in-i^ated. Freiiuont showers 

 kept the soil supplied with more than a normal amount of moisture 

 durino- the remainder of Auj^ust and wcdl into Septemher, yet the 

 irrigated rows showed the effects of the extra water they had received. 

 AVithin two weeks the watered rows ])egati to show signs of renewed 

 \ ijj^or; new shoots began to appear and the })ranehes of the mature 

 pUmts appeared green at the tip. Witli the waning of Septeml)er tlie 

 l)rownish appeai'ance of the iinirrigated rows was ([uite noticeal)le, 

 while the irrigated plants continued green; ])ut the niost interesting 

 feature of this experiment was the fact that the iinirrigated rows were 

 affected with asparagus rust while the irrigated plants were apparently 

 entirely free from the disease. This shows at least that irrigation 

 does not aggravate this disease and gives rise to the possi))ility that it 

 may afford a means of overcoming its effects. The photographs in 

 n. XXIV, ffg. 1, show the difference in size and appearance of aspar- 

 agus plants in the irrigated and iinirrigated rows, the stalks photo- 

 graphed being average specimens in point of size from ))oth areas. 

 PI. XXIV, tig. 2, show near views of sections of the stalks taken 

 from the irrigated and unirrigated rows. The unirrigated were small 

 and showed plainly the effect of disease. The irrigated stalks w^erc 

 large, clean, and healthy. If irrigation shall jjrove a preventive of 

 asi)aragus rust it will be of untold value to the gardeners throughout 

 the United States, and if this application of water invigorates the 

 plant sufhciently to cause it to resist a common disease, it is also quite 

 likelj^ that enough surplus food suppl}^ will be stored up in the roots 

 to enalde them to push out the 3'oung edible shoots carl}' in the spring 

 in a more vigorous and abundant fashion. 



The nurseiy stock was irrigated to a depth of 4.('>7 inches. At the 

 tirst of November the irrigated trees were not appreciabl}' larger than 

 those not irrigated, but the irrigated trees seemed disposed to con- 

 tinue their growth and probabl}' will outstrip the unirrigated ones, as 

 nurseiy stock grows until December if it has sufficient moisture. 



Four varieties of onions were irrigated, the Avatering beginning 

 July 27 and continuing until the soil was well saturated, 6 inches over 

 the entire area being applied. The crop was harvested the first of 

 Septem))er and a careful record kept of the yield on equal areas of 

 irrigated and unirrigated plats, the yield being weighed at the time 

 of harvesting so as to show the total difference, and then the product 



