ASPARAGUS 159 



would result in greatly lessening the loss from this cause. 

 This should be done before the smut boils turn black and 

 break open. It is, however, such an expensive remedy as to 

 seem almost impracticable. Some experiments seem to show 

 that soaking the seed in a solution of sulphate of copper may 

 assist in preventing this trouble in corn as well as smut in 

 wheat, but other experiments apparently prove the con- 

 trary, and it may be taken as a doubtful matter at the 

 best. Practically, then, we know of no sure remedy for 

 smut in corn. 



THE LILY FAMILY (Order Liliaceae) 



The Lily Family is made up of plants that with few 

 exceptions have parallel-veined leaves. The flowers are 

 regular and symmetrical with perianth of six parts, six 

 stamens, and a superior three-celled ovary; fruit a 

 many-seeded dry pod or soft berry. Besides the asparagus, 

 onion, garlic, and leek, whose cultural directions are here 

 given, there occur in this family the tiger and other lilies, 

 the hyacinth, tulip, Spanish bayonet, century plant, smilax, 

 lily of the valley, and many other familiar flowering plants. 



ASPARAGUS (Asparagus officinalis) 



Description. Native of Europe. A perennial. The 

 asparagus is an herbaceous plant, growing to the height 

 of about four feet. The flowers are small and generally 

 yellow. They are perfect, but in many plants the pistils 

 are abortive, so that only about half of the plants produce 

 seed. The seed is produced in spherical berries, that are 

 vermillion in color when they ripen in the autumn. The 

 seeds are black and triangular, numbering about 1400 to 

 the ounce. They may be taken from the berry quite 

 readily by macerating the fruit in water to remove the 

 pulp and light seed and then drying the good seed. 



