ASPARAGUS 121 



The red rust is the destructive form ; the other forms would be of 

 little account except for their carrying the parasite from one sea- 

 son to another. The most successful treatment which has so far 

 been devised, besides that of breeding disease-resistant strains of 

 asparagus, is to spray the asparagus with a normal Bordeaux-mix- 

 ture solution, to which 2 ounces of resin whale-oil soap is added, 

 and while the plants, are still moist to dust them with flowers of 

 sulphur. Flowers of sulphur are lighter, carry better, and are less 

 expensive than ground sulphur, known as flour. Sulphur should be 

 applied with a blowgun which develops considerable power, so as 

 to distribute the sulphur well through the branches of the plants. 1 

 The cost of an application of flowers of sulphur, which is the most 

 economical form to use, has been found to be about $i per acre. 

 The sulphur should be so applied as to get a thorough coating upon 

 the tops of the plants just about the time the rust is due to appear. 



Forcing. In England and France asparagus is forced to a con- 

 siderable extent. The roots may be lifted and placed in a mild 

 hotbed and forced in that way, or, as is the common practice in 

 England and France, brick flues or heating pipes are carried through 

 the soil along the lines of asparagus, so as to warm the soil in the 

 vicinity of the roots. The crowns are given protection by placing 

 over them frames covered with glass. 



Asparagus is not forced to any considerable extent in this coun- 

 try because of the wide territory over which it can be grown nor- 

 mally and because of the good transportation facilities afforded. 

 The only necessity for forcing asparagus in America is to satisfy 

 the demands of the owners of private estates. If it is desirable 

 to hasten the development of the plant, the bed may be made on 

 specially prepared soil, with heating pipes arranged so that the 

 temperature of the soil can be brought to a desired degree, and 

 an artificial covering of muslin or tent cloth placed over the area 

 early in the season. 



Asparagus is an interesting plant for experimental study. A 

 number of years ago the authorities of the Ohio State Experi- 

 ment Station, now located at Wooster, Ohio, carried on some 

 experiments to compare the size of the stalks produced from 



1 For detailed information concerning the application of sulphur to asparagus, 

 see California Bulletin No. 77.2. 



