36 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



scolymus, globe artichoke/ mustard, roq uette {Eruca sativa), rarnpion {Campanula 

 rapunculus), parsley, tobacco, peppers, sunflowers, and a number of flowers and 

 honey plants. Similar notes arc also given for strawberries and orchard fruits. 



Xott Excelsior has proved the besl of the medium early varieties of peas. PMible 

 ears of Peep 0' Day sweet corn planted June LO were obtained September 1. Earliest 

 of All was the next earliest variety. Vaughan Earliest of All is the most promising 

 variety of tomato thus far tested. The husk tomato {Physalis francheti) was not 

 killed by frosts until November and came up the following May from underground 

 runners. 



Extensive observations relative to the onion maggot indicate that it does not 

 propagate in the wild leek, nor in the cultivated leek, nor on perennial onions. In 

 onion sets which were shipped in from the outside L'l'out of 26 onions contained 2 to 

 S maggots each. Cedar birds were especially injurious in eating and destroying 

 strawberries. Robins were less so. Their depredations were restricted to "the 

 gathering of the seed from a few berries, and this only at a time when their young 

 begin to feather out." 



A number of orchard trees were injured by sun scald during the winter above 

 snow line. Seven varieties which ripened fruit were Haas, Borowinka, Gideon, 

 Hibernal, Patten Greening, Yellow Transparent, and Duchess. 



Asparagus culture in California, R. E. Smith (California Sta. Bid. 165, pp. 

 5-18, Jigs. IS). — This bulletin is primarily a report to certain asparagus growers, can- 

 ners, and dealers in California, who provided a fund of $2,500 for investigating 

 asparagus rust. That part of the bulletin dealing with the nature and control of 

 asparagus rust is noted elsewdiere in this number. 



The commercial culture of asparagus in California has developed largely within 

 the last 10 years, principally in the delta country between Sacramento, Stockton, 

 and Port Costa. At present about 7,000 acres of asparagus are grown annually in 

 California. The crop is grown on 2 classes of soils, sedimentary river deposits and 

 island peat soils. In small field culture the rows may be as close as 5 ft. apart, but 

 in the great island plantations they are or even 10 ft. apart and about 2 ft. distant 

 in the row. For canning purposes the blanched stalks are grown. These are pro- 

 duced by ridging dirt high up over the rows. 



In marketing, the crop is trimmed to a uniform length of 7 in. and packed in bulk 

 in 60-lb. boxes. Bunching is not practiced except to a limited extent and for ship- 

 ment to eastern markets in a fresh condition. The average yield is placed at 5,000 

 lbs. of merchantable asparagus per acre, while good fields in prime condition may 

 produce 7,000 to 8,000 lbs. without fertilization. The larger part of the crop is 

 canned. The author states that the process of canning is clean and appetizing, "and 

 the product healthful and delicious, being immeasurably superior to fresh asparagus 

 bought in the market and cooked at home." 



Tomatoes, L. C. Corbett ( U. S. Dept. Agr., Farmers 1 Hal. 220, j>/>. 32, figs. IS).— 

 Popular directions are given for growing and marketing tomatoes, the subject being 

 considered from the standpoint of tomatoes as a field crop at the North, as a tield 

 crop at the South, forcing of tomatoes, and the tomato as a field crop for canning. 



Pruning- tomatoes, W. T. Macoun {Country (lent., 70 (1905), No. 2720, p. 250).— 

 Two varieties of tomatoes were used in the experiment, Sparks Earliana and Match- 

 less. 



When the plants had developed 6 strong leaves in the hotbed the tops were 

 nipped off and the plants given more room, being spaced 5.5 in. apart each way. 

 "The object of pinching off the top of the plant was to cause new shoots to develop 

 at the axils of the leaves, in order to have 6 branches bearing early tomatoes instead 

 of the one cluster usually found on the top of the plant." These plants were set out 

 in the field June 6 alongside of other plants which were left unpruned. On June 22 



