A FERTILIZER EXPERIMENT WITH ASPARAGUS. 251 



2. To determine the principles which should underUe practice in the 

 use of fertihzers for asparagus. This investigation is to include not only 

 the most varied apphcations of plant-food elements as to kind, quantity, 

 forms of combination and season of application, but studies as well of 

 effects of the varied treatments upon: (1) the characteristics of the soil, 

 — physical, chemical and biological; and (2) the plant as influencing 

 the character of its development, its physiology and its health. 



Breeding Investigations. — The co-operative breeding experiments were 

 from the first under the direct charge of Dr. J. B. Norton of the Bureau 

 of Plant Industry.^ It is generally held by the majority of those who 

 have examined the breeding grounds in Concord, and tried the better of 

 the new varieties produced, that his work has been attended with a large 

 measure of success. The better varieties are all designated by the class 

 name "Washington," which was the name given to the male plant wliich, 

 ha\dng given the best results in comparative crosses made, was chosen 

 for most of the breeding work. Several of the varieties of this class 

 produced seem to combine a large measure of capacity to resist rust with 

 desirable commercial characteristics. 



A number of plants of some of these varieties have been distributed by 

 this Experiment Station to asparagus growers in different parts of the 

 State for trial as compared with older varieties. A considerable number 

 of reports have been received, but since the earhest distributions were 

 made in 1915 it is yet too early for decision as to the rank which these 

 varieties will finally take among those cultivated by Massachusetts 

 growers. It may be said, however, at this point that the majority of 

 those reporting have expressed favorable opinions. There have been 

 some who have thought the new varieties which they had under trial 

 were hardly equal to the best older varieties, while others have reported 

 that they could see no particular difference in ability to resist rust. 



Fertilizer Investigations. — In a statement of the plan of research pro- 

 posed, submitted to Dr. True for approval under the Adams act, it was 

 stated to be the plan to study the results of the variant fertilizer treatments 

 from two points of view in addition to the apparent direct effect upon 

 the yield; namely, as above stated, first, the characteristics of the soil; 

 and second, those of the plant. Various conditions affecting the possibili- 

 ties for investigational work in the Station have prevented giving much 

 attention to the study of the effects upon the soil, most important among 

 them being changes in the personnel of the chemical and microbiological 

 staffs. The second Hne of investigation, however, — namely, the effects 

 upon the plant, — has engaged considerable attention. The investiga- 

 tions along this line have been under the direct charge of Professor Morse, 

 and for the most part conducted by him. The leading results of these 

 investigations have been reported in a number of different papers. ^ 



1 Dr.iNorton has reported the results of his work in publications which are listed in the bibliog- 

 raphy. 



' For a list of these papers, see the bibliography. 



