548 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



results in the case of cucumbers, cantaloupes, lettuce, peppers, Irish 

 potatoes, pumpkins, radishes, and tomatoes. The results in many of 

 the other crops are not indicated. Tabulated data are given on fertili- 

 zer tests with cabbages, cantaloupes, eggplants, watermelons, Irish 

 potatoes, sweet potatoes, and tomatoes, and an experiment in growing 

 cucumbers under glass is described. The comparative ability of the 

 crops to endure the drought is reported. Mention is made of the striped 

 cucumber beetle (Diabrotica vitata) and the 12-spotted beetle (Diabro- 

 tica 12-punctata), and a mixture of 12 qt. of air-slaked lime and 1 pt. 

 of coal oil applied with a hand bellows or powder gun is recommende'd 

 for keeping them in check. 



Winter forcing of asparagus in the open field, J. C. Whitten 

 (Missouri Sta. Bui. 43, pp. 54-62, figs. 2). — Various methods of forcing 

 asparagus are noted and a method of forcing a crop in the field is 

 described. Forcing asparagus in the field has two advantages over 

 removing the roots to a forcing house. It avoids the trouble and 

 expense of transplanting them and it saves the plants from being 

 ruined by the forcing process, as in the case of plants removed to forc- 

 ing houses. The method used at the station is as follows: Trenches 

 are made between the rows by running a double furrow, throwing the 

 soil in the rows of plants, and then making the trenches uniform with 

 a spade. When finished they are 3 or 4 in. lower than the crowns of 

 the plants. They are then covered with 12 in. boards resting on 4-in. 

 blocks on either side of the trenches, thus forming tunnels between the 

 rows. The boards are covered with 2 or 3 in. of soil and then the whole 

 bed is covered with 5 or 6 in. of horse manure. Steam is carried from 

 the boiler to the central tunnel by a steam pipe and from there forced 

 into the tunnels through steam hose. The steam penetrates the soil of 

 the beds, warming it to the desired temperature. 



This method was tested at the station in the winter of 1 896. The field 

 used had been planted to asparagus some 10 years previous to the exper- 

 iment. Six rows 4 ft. apart and .50 ft. long were prepared for forcing. 

 Steam was first applied November 14. It was discharged in each tunnel 

 for not over 5 minutes at a time, about 1 hour being required to heat the 

 bed to a temperature of 60° F. After the first clay the bed was steamed 

 ou an average of twice in 3 days, and only for 5 minutes for each tunnel. 

 The first asparagus was cut 10 days after steaming was begun. It 

 was as large as that ordinarily produced in spring and much more 

 crisp. Cuttings were made almost daily for a month, when the growth 

 became weak. The second test was begun December 1(3 and carried 

 out as in the first test. The bed prepared for forcing was 25 by 75 ft. 

 The first cutting was made 2 weeks after the first steaming. The time 

 of cutting was more irregular than in the first test, and was prolonged 

 about 2 months. The weather being colder, somewhat more steam was 

 required than in the first test. The plants forced were allowed to grow 

 without cutting during the summer of 1897, and the spring growth of 



