ASPARAGUS RUST 239 



Our little purging flat {Linum catharticuni), so abundant in 

 many pastures, is often orange with the rust, the spores 

 from which would readily infect any crop growing in the 

 neighbourhood. 



Stems covered with teleutospores should be burned, 

 otherwise the disease is liable to be perpetuated. 



ASPARAGUS RUST 



{Puccinia asparagi, D. C.) 



Too frequently the entire cft-op of asparagus in a given 

 district is destroyed by this minute parasite, and quite 

 recently the disease has suddenly appeared, and done an 

 unparalleled amount of mischief to asparagus, in the United 

 States. 



The disease usually appears rather late in the season, 

 after the greater portion of the crop for the year has been 

 gathered, but not unfrequently the aecidium stage of the 

 fungus appears on the earliest shoots. This is followed 

 by the brown pustules of the uredo stage on the stem and 

 branches ; later in the season black streaks, numerous black 

 spots, and streaks of teleutospores appear, often in such 

 quantity as to blacken the stem and branches. This 

 destruction of the entire plant means an inferior crop the 

 following season, also a diseased one, unless prompt 

 measures for its prevention are carried out. 



Preventive Means. — The appearance of the disease in 

 the spring depends on teleutospores in the neighbourhood ; 

 consequently it is of primary importance that all diseased 

 plants should be gathered and burned, otherwise many 

 teleutospores find their way to the ground. 



