130 Report oF THE BOTANIST OF THD 
acres of Columbian White asparagus at Mattituck, New York. | 
On August 14, every spear of the asparagus was cut and removed 
from the field, by the owner. Two weeks later a fairly good 
stand of half-grown asparagus stalks covered the field. On Sep- 
tember 7, this new growth was badly rusted, and by the first of 
October it was as nearly dead as was the first growth previous 
to cutting. Asa result, the bed was so weakened that it had to 
be abandoned in 1900. The author believes that American 
writers never intended to recommené cutting early in the fall, 
although in an article in Gerden and Forest Dr. Halsted’ says, 
“The only safe thing to do when a serious enemy like this is in 
an asparagus field is to burn the plants even to the last scrap 
that can be gathered up. Let this be done at once, for any delay 
means the breaking up of the brittle, rusty plants, and a gener- 
ous sowing of the spores upon the ground.” Unfortunately 
Long Island growers are not the only ones who have tested cut- 
ting and burning too early in the fall. } 
In asparagus growing sections like Long Island where a large 
amount of asparagus grows wild in hedgerows and neglected 
fields, where also worn-out fields are allowed to run wild, it is 
doubtful if cutting and burning even late in the fall will ever be 
of much benefit. Even with a law compelling all growers to cut 
and burn their beds in October, it still remains an open question 
whether the spores which fall to the ground will not thoroughly 
seed the field for another season. 
In addition to burning Dr. Halsted’? has suggested plowing 
and the application of lime as a means of disposing of the scat- 
tered spores which lie on the surface of the field. This method 
may be worth a trial where level culture is practised, but would 
be of little value where ridging is followed. | 
RESISTANT VARIETIES. 
In 1896 Dr. Halsted!’ noticed that the Palmetto variety was 
apparently not injured as much by the rust as some other varie- 
foe. ee 
wdardey and Forest, 9: 395, 1896. 
uwN, J. Agr. Exp. Sta. Bul. 129, p. 15. 
“N. J. Agr. Exp. Sta. Rept. 1896, p. 409-410. 
