Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1867-01-24
agricultural.
Protecting Soils in Winter.

The importance of winter mulching,
sheltering from winds and other
modes Of protecting the soils and
plants which grow in it from the ef-
fccts of freezing and cutting winds,
has been much dwelt upon by writers
OF late years. The advantages of such
protection have been well understood
by many cultivators But there have
been no distinct or accurate observa-
tiOns showing the precise amount of
difference between exposure and the
different kinds of covering Having
recently made some examinations we
report them with the hope that they
will lead to others Of more directly
applicable character on the part of
some Of our readers.
The observations were made On soil
early in winter, after exposure to cold
averaging some ten or twelve degrees
below freezing, for about week, ac-
companied with a good deal of wind.
The depth to which the ground was
found frozen will indicate the various
degrees Of advantage resulting from
the different kinds of protection.
Bare soil beaten moderately hard in
4 farm road was found frozen very
hard to an average depth of six inch
cs with a variation of an inch or so,
as the surface was more or less ex-
posed to the sweep of the winds. 1t
should be remarked that all the soils
examined were strong heavy loan.
Soil which had been plowed last
summer, but had become settled and
hard, and a beaten path slightly COW
cred with grass, were both frozen
down about five inches.
Soil mellowed late in autumn, hard
soil sheltered ten feet of with an ev-
ergreen screen ten feet high, and pas
ture closely grazed, were all frozen
down about four inches.
Under soft pasture grass covering
the surface two or three inches in
thickness, the soil was frozen to a
depth of one and half inches, vary
ing with the degree Of exposure on
knolIs of fat surface and in depres-
Sions a foot deep and several feet
wide where the grass was somewhat
thicker, there was little or no frost
Under the lee Of a ten foot ever
green screen, three feet from it, hard
ground was frozen only two inches
deep. About the same depth of frost
was found where the soil was covered
with an inch or two Of leaves, or with
an inch of moss, in an exposed situa-
ton.
Soil entirely under the PROSTATE
branches of evergreen trees or cover
ed with short grass, close beside such
trees, was frozen down about an inch.
Soil covered with an inch of fine moss,
near dense evergreen screens, was not
frozen at all.
These observations will suggest to
cultivators some practical hints in the
planting and cultivation of half hardy
or tender plants and shrubs. The ad-
vantage Of mellow surface, acting as
non-conductor Of frost, is shown by
the lessened depth in freezing, good
Drainage being necessary for such
pulverization. When the pulyeriza-
ton is very perfect the frost scarcely
causes adhesion among the particles,
and it is therefore nearly impossible
for it to heave or throw out the roots
Late fall rains may, however, render
such soils more Compact-rendering
it advisable to tread the surface to
exclude the rain in cases of late au-
tumn transplanting unless it can be
done by leaves or other artificial cov-
ering.
The protection afforded by thick
coating Of grass, when compared with
a closely grazed surface,is quite strik-
g,and shows at least one Of the rca-
sons OF the great superiority Of pas
lures in spring that are not severely
fed on in autumn.
The protection afforded by moss
and leaves in exposed situations,
points out the Importance Of winter
mulching to tender plants or even to
hardy ones as strawberries, or to the
roots of trees liable to injury as dwarf
pears.
The remarkable protection afforded
by evergreen screens and trees is an
additional confederation Of the many
observations made of late years on
this branch of the subject. There is
no question that by surrounding a
plot of ground with dense evergreens,
accompanied with covering of leaves
or moss, many plants generally regar-
ded as greenhouse plants might be
subjected wholly TO open air culture
Co'mtry Gent.