Effect of harvesting, spacing and age of plants on yields of asparagus

Although Iowa has never ranked high among the states as a producer of asparagus for market or canning, the asparagus acreage planted, particularly by canners, is increasing. No exact information is available concerning the effect of the cutting season’s length upon yields over a period of years. Market gardeners usually stop cutting asparagus in Iowa between June 1 and June 15. The demand for asparagus at this time decreases and the prices drop too low for profitable harvesting. To prevent damage to future yields, June 15 also appears to be the latest safe harvest date, though no substantiating experimental data have been available. Canners, however, could harvest asparagus later than June 15 profitably if such treatment did not injure the yield and quality of the future harvests

Growing grapes in Iowa

The Concord and grapes of this type and hardiness, which are the most widely grown in Iowa, require yearly pruning if the grower wishes to obtain heavy annual yields of large-sized high-quality fruit. Far too many home vineyards are left unpruned or are incorrectly pruned, with the result that they are unproductive and unsightly. There are many systems used in training the American grape, but the system which seems to be best adapted to Iowa conditions is the single-stem four-cane Kniffin system. The spur method of pruning, which has been employed to a considerable extent with the European grape, is still followed in many sections of Iowa. Unfortunately, this method is unsatisfactory with the Concord grape and, except with grapes trained on arbors, should not be used. The grapevines pruned by the long cane method and trained to the Kniffin system in certain Iowa tests have repeatedly outproduced those pruned by the spur method. The Concord produces the heaviest yield of fruit from approximately the fifth to ninth bud and the lowest yield from the first four buds on the cane. Therefore, it can be seen that with the spur method of pruning, when only the first two buds are left on each cane, the heaviest producing buds are removed. The characteristic bearing habit of the American grape explains why long cane pruning is more productive than the spur cane system

Victory vegetable gardens

The farm garden may easily occupy 1/2 acre and supply enough vegetables for a medium-sized family the year around. The garden on the city lot necessarily will have to be smaller, but by intensive methods of cropping may be made to produce enough fresh vegetables during the growing season for a small-sized family. Farm gardens are often too small for the needs of the family, because the labor required by a larger garden is thought to interfere with farm duties. Using field methods of tillage, the size of the farm garden can be increased with no increase in labor. Many farm gardens should be relocated because continuous cropping without adequate rotation has reduced yields and quality of the vegetables. Soils for vegetable crops should be high in organic matter. The easiest way to secure this is through the application of animal manure or the plowing under of a green manure crop, preferably a legume. A good plan for the farm vegetable garden would be to plant an area in soybeans or other legumes equal to that planted to vegetables. The next year plant the vegetables on that portion of the garden in which the green manure was grown. Select a level site or one with a gentle slope, avoiding steep slopes because small seeds and seedlings easily wash out with heavy rains. North and east exposures are preferable since they do not dry out as readily and are cooler. Protection from winds is always desirable, but of course vegetables will not grow well close to tree rows or in the shade of buildings

Shortening the Rest Period of the Tubers of the Jerusalem Artichoke, Helianthus tuberosus L.

Experiments are reported in which the rest period of dormant tubers of the Jerusalem artichoke was shortened by storage at temperatures near or slightly below freezing. The length of the rest period or dormant stage was directly dependent on storage temperature; the lower the temperature down to slightly below freezing, the shorter the rest period

The Home Vegetable Garden

Vegetables are healthful. Mineral salts present In vegetables are especially Important; iron, calcium and phosphorus are present In sufficient quantities for the body\u27s needs. Vegetables add bulk to the diet and furnish vitamins which are essential to the growth and health of the body. A well planned and or cared for garden will produce enough vegetables to supply the family during the growing season, and enough may be raised In excess for storing for winter use. Beets, carrots, turnips, parsnips, potatoes, late cabbage, etc., can be stored successfully. Fresh vegetables from the home garden are much more palatable than vegetables which have been shipped long distances or displayed for several days in the retail grocery window. The only means or securing the 1best peas, sweet corn, beans and asparagus Is to grow them at home, since they deteriorate rapidly after gathering. Many vegetables lose their characteristic flavor unless used within a few hours after gathering

A study of Drouth resistance in inbred strains of sweet corn Zea Mays Var. Rugosa

Plant breeders have noted that corn inbreds and hybrids shovv marked differences in their ability to withstand even mild periods of drouth and high temperatures. Sweet corn inbreds and hybrids as a group do not have as high resistance as field corn in breds and hybrids. The most resistant sweet corn lines are not equal to the most resistant field corn lines. Since 1929, in central Iowa, it has been comparatively easy to classify sweet corn inbreds in the field according to their relative resistance. Less than normal rainfall and higher than normal temperatures during a part of the growing season each year have made possible the classification of the lines into one or more of the following four groups: Those which are subject to (a) tassel firing, (b) firing of the top two or three leaves, (c) firing of the lowest three or four leaves and (d) excessive rolling and wilting of the Ieaves. Plants of lines which are classed in group (d) roll their leaves during periods of high temperature and drouth to the extent that the leaves may fail to unroll entirely when conditions are more favorable. Stunting or death may result

Effect of spacing and length of harvesting on yields of asparagus

This publication might be termed “a progress report,” since two previous publications by the author2 3 reported the results obtained on effect of spacing and length of harvesting period,2 on yields of asparagus. In the first publication it was concluded that plants harvested until July 15 in 1929, 1930 and 1931 showed a reduction in yield in 1931 compared to plants harvested until July 1 each year. It was also concluded that, “after harvesting plants to July 1 for 3 years the increase over the plants harvested a shorter period of time, though significant, is not highly so, and future records may disclose that July 1 is entirely too late to harvest.” The second publication by the author3 contained results for the following 3 years, 1932, 1933 and 1934. Those results on effect of length of cutting season may be summarized as follows: “Harvesting until July 15 materially shortened the profitable life of the planting. The quality of spears as indicated by weight and diameter was so poor that it rendered the planting unprofitable after 5 years of harvesting to this date. Cutting until July 1 was profitable for 6 years, but indications point to a reduction in weight and diameter of spear in the sixth year, and future trends appear to be downward. Harvesting until May 1, May 15 or June 1 was not as profitable as harvesting until June 15, although the market quality of spears was better in these three treatments than any of the others. The total yield was not sufficient, however, to justify discontinuing harvesting at these dates.

Potato growing in Iowa

Iowa does not grow enough potatoes to supply its own needs. The average yield is about 100 bushels per acre. Because of high summer temperatures and uneven distribution of rainfall during the growing season, the climate is not ideal for the production of potatoes. However, yields in farm and home gardens could easily be doubled by following the practices outlined here. Several large commercial growers in Iowa average 400 to 500 bushels per acre of marketable potatoes each year. An ideal potato soil should be high in fertility, friable, deep, high in organic matter, and should have an acid to slightly acid reaction. Soil type definitely influences the shape of the tuber. Light, well-aerated soils produce better shaped tubers than heavy soils. Sandy soils are excellent for early potatoes, but in dry seasons the crop may suffer from lack of moisture. Heavy clays fail to produce tubers of good quality or shape. Sandy loams and medium loams are the most satisfactory upland soils. Much of the commercial acreage in Iowa is on peat and muck. They are excellent potato soils when they have adequate drainage. Because of their high percentage of organic matter and lower temperature, they yield more heavily than mineral or upland soils, when properly managed