White Cloud Kansas chief. [volume] (White Cloud, Kan.) 1857-1872, 1861-08-01
for tBt farmer.
Try Mulching.

By nulching, the inexperienced reader will
understand that We mean the placing Of leaves,
straw, refuse hay, grass, or other material, upon
the surface Of the soil, around the base of fruit
trees. and various other plants. We hope cv.
cry reader Of the Agriculturist will look into
the benefits of this process. 1t is possible
doubtless, to over-rate the importance of the
practice, but there is little danger of it. To
our view, it is one Of the most useful processes
in orchard and garden culture. or course it ia
not to be employed without regard 10 time and
season. Its value appears chiefly in times Of
drouth, preserving healthful moisture of the
surface of the soil It also saves hoe labor in
keeping down weeds and scarifying the earth
about trees and plants.
Ifs fruit garden is not carefully titled in mid.
summer the ground becomes hard and dry, and
an army Of weeds invade it, which By the evap-
GRAFTON from their leaves pump the soil still
drier than it would be il bare of vegetation.
But cover the ground between and around the
trees with a few inches thick Of forest leaves,
Or straw or tan bark, and the coil will continue
moist, and few weeds will appear. The trees,
too, will make a better growth.
Yet mulching should be applied with some
care and discrimination. For instance, it should
seldom be used in early Summer, except in the
case of newly planted trees. From April to
June, it would be better to keep the soil clean
and loose with the cultivator and hoe; for, if
covered earlier, it would keep out the genial
heat of the sun, and so retard the growth of
both leaves and roots Wait until the ground
gets well warmed and vivi6ed, until the ma.
nures have been we'll worked into the soil BY the
hoe, and until the ordinary rains and dews of
ground properly moist; then put on the blanket
of leaves, or straw, or refuse hay, or cut weeds.
So treated, it will matter little whether it rains
or not, for several weeks at time, for the mulch
will arrest the moisture always rising from the
sub soil and prevent its evaporation. The hoe,
too, may cease its fight of the weeds for q long
time.
Again: the mulch should, in most cases, be
moved before the close of the season. Ifkept
on late into Autumn, it will serve to keep the
ground about the roots warm and moist, and so
excite continued growth at time when it
should have ceased, and the forces of the tree
be spent in ripening off its wood preparatory to
Winter. The neglect of this precauiion may
account, in part, for the winter killing of many
fine dwarf and other pear trees There is an
other reason, too, for this; if the mulch of hay
or straw be LEFT around young trees in Winter,
il will be quite sure to afford nesting place
for mice. Let it then be removed, say about
the middle of September, or first of October.
Early in November, supply its place with hill
lock of common soil around the trunk to repel
vermin.
As already intimated, mulching is very i'm
portant in the case ofnewly planted trees, shrubs
and vines. The manged roots very soon send
of all the moisture they possess, or can gather
from the surrounding soil, and it is very impor-
tant to supply lack artRcialy, until they get re-
and in condition to gather water
for themselves. This can be done, either by
watering the roots frequently, or by mulching
them. The first method every experienced
planter knows is open to many objections; it is
an unnatural remedy, it usually packs the ground
too much, and is not always successful. The
latter has everything to recommend it; it is ma
tures plan for protecting roots, it is easily and
quickly done, and is generally successful. Wa
ter may perhaps be wisely applied once at the
time of replantirg, but it will seldom be needed
again. Among deciduous trees, there is none
that demands more than the cherry. From
neglect oft, many fine collections perish every
year.
And if deciduous trees require mulching.
much more do evergreens. Their foliage, al
ways fully expanded, serves to evaporate the
moisture of the roots very fast. At the time |
Of re-setting, they should be plentifully water
ed, and then the soil over the roots should be /
covered with leaves and fat stones to keep them
1own, or with spent tan-bark. With this little |
care, even the fastidious Hemlock will accom-. |
modate itself to new soils and exposures. For
shading ground about newly planted shrubs,
yrapevines, Strawberries, cuttings and the like,
nothing is better than chopped straw, or (Which
looks better) newly mown grass. If water is
applied soon from a watering pot it will make
the mulch lie fat upon the ground, and it |
will remain there all Summer.-AmeSiean Ag- |
rieuiturisf.