Omaha daily bee., 1883-05-30
! excellent fertilizers.

ntsn exoellent fertillZers, Inc
process of %mulchlng, however, has
many advantages owe that of ordi-
nary manurlng In raising many kinds
of plants, especially fruit and orns
mental trees, shrubs, bushes, and
vines. Most Of these do not do well
In a naked soil In a climate as sub
ject to extreme changes OF heat and
moisture as ours. Their roots require
protection from the action OF the sun
in sumuer and from the effects of
the cold during the winter. When
evaporation goes on rapidly, as 1t Is
likely to do In q region subject to
winds, it Is advisable to check It, and
this may be accomplished by means Of
q mulch, Water inds its way through
mluching material by means Of
its weight, bnt the mulch,
by keeping It cool and pro-
teoting 1t from currents Of
air, greatly retards evaporation. A
suitable mulch accordingly prevents
drought In the portions of soil that
are covered with 1t. 1t also lessons
the action Of the frost. 1t renders the
soil beneath 1t mellow and keeps 1t In
that condition, In the course of time
1t supplies the element of fertility. 1t
also saves the application of water In
seasons of protracted dryness, and by
preventing the growth of grass and
weeds obvistes the necessity Of con.
slant cultivation, AS II Ia not neceu.
sary to work soil covered with mulch
the roots It contains are protected
from II jury.
1t IL Advisable to mulch trees,
shrubs, bushes and vines which have
been recently planted In all parts OF
the country, except In places where
the rainfull Is abundant and we'll dis
trlbuted throughout the growing sea
son, and where considerable snow falls
during the winter. 1t 10 also advisa'
bic to continne the application Of
mulching materials till the trees and
other vegetation become well estab'
lished and have attained a largo size,
In portions of the country subject
to protracted drought during the sum
mer, rs In most Of the south
era states, great advantage will
30 found In mulching common
potatoes. Mulch Is a great aid In rails
Ing strawberries. 1t keeps the soil In
q good condition In respect to moist
ure and mellowness, protects the root,
from frost, and affords q clean mater
ial for the berries to grow and ripen
on. As with other crops, 1t savel
much labor In cultivation. The ohoic,
of materials for mulohing will depend
on the vegetation to be grown and th,
supply most easily obtained. Coars,
barn yard manure Ia excellent To-
treer, bushes, and vines produclp,
fruit, but Is leHp desirable for fores
and ornamental trees. Forest leave
are excellent for mulohing all lands o
vegetation, and would be preferred I,
almont any other material but TO
their liability to be blown away
When easily procured 1t Is advissb'
to spply them, and to keep them II
place by means of long and heav.
material like corn.stalks Flax.straw
the straw of common grains, old hay
sawdust, tanbark, and peat car b
employed to good advantage. Ii
some places coal screeniLgs and tn
waste of coal shafts can be profitabl,
employed. For mulching ssrawberr,
plants there Is nothing superior, If In
decd anything as good as freshly. Gu
grass. It serves every purpose tba
, other materisls do, and furnishes
, clean mat for the berries to grow an
virpu IN.