Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1871-11-28
agricultural.
For the Oxford Democrat
Sears GA MUiching.
WINTHROP, Nov. 9th. 1871

WINTHROP, NOV. ON. 100 l.
Nr. Editor Your valuable paper
greets me weekly. Tor which accept my
thanks. The local news from the towns
where | ara mostly acquainted is very
interesting.
learn that one of your correspond
ents invited me to say when is the best
time to mulch fruit trees. He would have
received an answer ere this, but the ques-
tiOn escaped my notice.
Mulching, like some other operations,
Is best performed when it can be most
conveniently. The tall season. imme-
diately after hay and grain is secured. is
the most convenient and appropriate time
for the procuraiion of materials for
mulching. The farmer then has more
leisure than at any other time during the
summer season. Then muching mate
rial Is fully grown, aud is loaded with
leaves, which is grand desideratum.-
Muck may, in many eases. be procured
in the winter season. Perhaps it would
be best 10 put it into loads about the
orchard, and aflerwsrd apply as per fol.
lowing reasons.
II muck is applied about the tree in
winter, when the ground is frozen, the
muck viii retain the frost in the soil in
the spring II muck is applied in the
summer, il clothes the earth, and pre-
vents hard freezing. Therefore muck
need not be discarded on account OF its
anti caloric conducting principle.
Again muck had best be applied on
grass land when the grass has started a
few inches. Then the grass, by being
smOthered, will be readily killed. A
small amount Of muck, applied in June.
destroys grass. Then the muck. left in
heaps, may be more a,lvantageously APP
piled.
All fruit trees should be thoroughly
mulched as soon r. set. If transplanted
in the TALL, the mulch protects the soil
from frost, and the tree is enabled 10
start the earlier in the spring IL set in
the spring, the mulch keeps the soil some
what cool, and preserves it from tue CT
fleets of the drought. All new sci trees
on any land, suffer, especially thu first
year, from the drought. the soil being
tfrlt ab,ut tho traa
have seen great results from mulch
inc new set trees. \ reader OF the Lew
istou Journal once broke Us up by saying
Sears, am indebted to you in the full
sum of 500" How 2" II followed
Your directions for mulching trees. when
l sci them ont last spring. They did not
seem TO know that they had been trans
planted, and went Immediately to work,
aud have grown from / to inches
There are four trees | failed TO mulch,
and they hardly could leave out The
leaves are full four weeks behind. while
those mulched are in heavy green Leaf
now"
1T no point in the life OF \ tree can
muck be 50 proGlably applied rs when it
IS set Let all farmers who contemplate
setting fruit trees, be prepared in advance
with an abundance OF mulch material. If
vegetable, it should be cut. rs have al
ready indicated. while the leaves are on,
and stacked or housed
This is the year for cheating fruit trees,
as the cattle will be compelled 20 eat
everything that assumes the form of veg
citation, unless the farmer resorts to muck,
leaves or mould from the forest.
will endeavor to answer ali questions
on orcharding promptly hereafter.
SEARS