191 1.] Cultivation of Asparagus in Evesham. 835 



Diseases of Asparagus. — The two chief pests are : — 1. The 

 asparagus rust (Puccinia asparagi); and 2. The asparagus 

 beetle (Crioceris asparagi). 



The Rust. — This fungus disease is apparently usually 

 present in a mild form, but occasionally it has developed into 

 an epidemic. The following account is based on facts 

 supplied by a grower who was cultivating asparagus at the 

 time : — 



The epidemic started in 1896 and lasted until 1900. These 

 years were characterised not only by dry summers, but also 

 by dry winters. 



The influence of drought appears to be two-fold. Accord- 

 ing to Duggar the two factors that favour the fungus are : — ■ 

 1. Presence of heavy dew. 2. Absence of sufficient moisture 

 to keep the host plant actively growing. Both these conditions 

 are fulfilled in an ordinary dry, hot summer, while a dry 

 winter would still further lower the total water content of the 

 soil, and stop the proper summer growth of the plant. 



The disease was found on all the kinds of soils on which 

 asparagus is grown, i.e., from medium loams to heavy clays. 

 The disease appeared some time during the early summer, 

 and the "bower," or stems which are allowed to grow, ripened 

 off in August instead of October. The disease appeared first 

 of all in brown patches, which must have been the uredo- 

 spore stage, and subsequently in black patches, which is the 

 teleutospore stage. This latter stage seems to be present 

 every year, and causes the bower to ripen off a dull brown 

 colour instead of a golden yellow. The aecidial stage was 

 apparently not seen. The result of this premature ripening 

 in August was that the roots were considerably weakened; 

 in fact, a slow starvation took place. 



The crop the next year was a poor one, and very soon the 

 beds ceased to pay. Many were grubbed up in consequence, 

 but some which were allowed to remain paid again a year 

 or two after the disease had ceased to be epidemic. After 

 1900 many new beds were laid down, and now there is cer- 

 tainly a far larger acreage under asparagus than ever before. 



The disease, however, is still present, and under suitable 

 conditions might again become an epidemic. Some spraying 



