The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1884-07-04
Mulching.

extensive scale, not only in the forests,
but on the prairies, and wherever the
materials for mulching are scarce or of
poor quality, there We find the poorest
soil aud the weakest and thinnest vege-
tation. The earth in our forests is COW
cred with . mulch composed of leaves,
small twigs, branches and the half-de-
composed wood and bark of old trees.
along with millions of undershrubs and
heroaceous plants. This mulch is being
constantly renewed. and as the lower
strata become fine mould, furnishing
nutriment to the growing plants, new
materials are added to the upper
surface; and these two operations of
decay ana deposit have been going on
for ages, wherever the earth's surface
is adapted to the growth of vegetation.
The higher the order of plants that
have grown and decayed upon the
earth's SURFACE, the richer the soil has
become during the time they have ex-
listed. The cone-bearing trees as q
class draw very little from the soil, and
return little, as may be readily under
stood by an examination of the vast re-
gions OF country in different parts of
the world that are or we're once covered
with pine forests. On the contrary,
where we find the oak, hickory, maple,
and similar deciduOus trees growing,
we are usually safe in trusting to the
fertility of the soil, and know that it
will sustain higher. order of cultivated
plants than that covered with pine,
spruces, and similar eone-bearing
trees. An ANALYSIS of the leaves, wood
L., 4 -
where much of the fertility of the soil
has come from, also its progressive and
available form as food for plants.
These elements of fertility may have
once been locked up in the primary
rocks, and although it has no doubt
taken ages to extract them BY the slow
process of nature, still, through q sys-
tenn of what may be termed the pro-
erosion of primaries, the once inert
elements have become active and in
condition to support living organisms.
In the cultivation of plants we are
very likely to lose sight If the benefits
of mulching; in fact, the first opera
ton of man in attempting to culti-
vate the soil Is TO destroy the mulch
that covers its surface. The forests
are cut down, and the under
shrubs. weeds, and other use
less materials burned up. and
while the potash in the ashes
add something to the fertility of
the soil, this is soon exhausted
in land under constant cultivation.
When the forests have been cleared
away or the prairies are broken up,
there is an end of natural additions
of fertilizing element, and there
after everything of this kind must he
applied artificially, if at all. and at
the expense of the husbandman. That
he often neglects to add fertilizers in
sufficient quantities to prevent exhaus-
ton is quite apparent, or we would
hear less of exhausted soils and unre-
munerative crops.
The destruction of the natural mulch
found covering nearly all fertile soils is
necessary a. the very commencement
of cultivation. and we endeavor to
make good this loss by adding from
time to time manure composed of veg
etable and mineral substances. or by
practicing what is called green manur-
ing-that is, raisin. some kind of
crop and turning it under while in a
green and succulent condition. Where
barnyard manure can not be had cheap
ly and in large amounts, green manur-
ing is probably the cheapest method of
restoring or keeping up the fertility of
all light, sandy soils that are deficient
in vegetable mould and 1t is also on
such soils that the mulching of cult
waited plants of various kinds will be
found most beneficial. But it can usual
" be practiced upon nearly all kinds of
soils with excellent results, for in our
hot and naturally dry climate there are
few kinds of cultivated plants that OBJ
tain any more moisture during the
period of actual growth than they need;
too fire Iuently they do not receive half
enough. E.r .r..t ..r.
BY covering the surface of the ground
about the stems of plants with some
kind of a mulch the soil is enabled to
retain its moisture much longer than if
it was not covered, not only because
evaporation is checked, but because
there is also condensation of moisture
from the air that readily passes under
the materials used for mulching. Trees
of all kinds set out in spring should be
mulched. and the surface OF the ground
covered for at least three or four feet
from and all about the stem. For fruit
and most kinds of deciduous ornamen-
tai trees coarse manure from the barn
yard may be used for muiching, but old
hay, straw, weeds, or even sawdust or
shavings will answer if nothing better
can be obtained. There may be cases
when the mulching of trees would not
be beneticiat; for instance, when they
are set in low, wet, undrained soils;
but such locations are seldom selected
for orchards or gardens, and may be
considered as exceptions to the general
rule. 1t is not safe to wait until trees
begin to fail for want of moisture in
summer before applying water or
mulch. for then it may be too late to
do any good; but the better way is to
apply the mulch early, in order that it
and the soil beneath may get well
soaked before drv weather sets in.
OF all our small fruits, the strawberry
generally suffers most for lack of mois-
lure at the roots. and for, this reason
mulching has been more generally
praciiced with this berry than with any
other in cultivation, and USUALLY with
most excellent results. Still there are
some cultivators who will take the risk
of securing good crop without it.
Sometimes they are successful, but
oftener not. Ii using a mulch on
strawberry beds the cultivator not only
obtains as rule larger fruit, but the
plants continue in bearing longer, and
the berries are not so likely to be be-
spattered with dirt. Gooseberries and
currants also require large amount of
moisture and cool soil, and for this