15 



season of the year, but, on the other hand, we have had cases 

 brought to our attention where the tops were cut and burned in 

 August, which resulted not only in a useless expenditure of labor, 

 but in a decided injury to the plants. It has been found that if a 

 crop of asparagus tops is cut down in mid-summer a new crop 

 will take its place, and the latter will in the course of a few days be 

 as badly affected as the first. In this instance we not only get two 

 crops of infected tops where we would naturally get only one, but we 

 allow the plant to draw upon its reserve material to a degree that is 

 quite unnecessary, and sure to make itse'f felt in the succeeding 

 crop. The burning of the tops in the summer is, moreover, not an 

 easy task, inasmuch as they are laden with sap and do not show a 

 tendency to dry out readil}'. The asparagus growers in some parts 

 of the state who have tried the burning method in summer are not 

 at all pleased with it, and we are convinced that their judgment upon 

 this practice is sound. 



SPRAYING. 



The most extensive experiments reported as yet on the spraying 

 of asparagus for the rust, are those by Professor Halsted, in New 

 Jersey. He experimented with the standard Bordeaux mixture, 

 and also with the same solution in combination with soda, potash, 

 etc. His best results showed only a difference of about 25% 

 between the treated and untreated plants, or in other words, a gain 

 of this amount as a result of spraying. AVithout following these 

 experiments any further it must be admitted that the small gain 

 obtained by spraying is not encouraging. 



Some experiments in spraying were conducted by oureelves, the 

 past summer, at three different places, and the result in each series 

 was negative. One of the experiments was made in connection 

 with Wilfred Wheeler, at Concord. Two rows of asparagus were 

 s|)rayed with each of the following solutions, and two rows were 

 left in between the sprayed ones as normals or checks for comparison. 

 The solutions used were Potassium permanganate. Potassium sulfid, 

 Saceharate of Lime, and Bordeaux mixture. Four applications 

 were made in all. The first one was in July before any rust had 

 appeared, and it was continued throughout August. An examina- 

 tion and comparison of the sprayed and uns|)rayed plants in Sep- 

 tembershowed them to be equally infected with tek-utospores (the ure- 

 dospores did not appear), although it appeared as if there was a lit- 



