Shoshone journal. [volume] (Shoshone, Idaho) 1884-1931, 1899-09-18
FARM AND GARDEN.
MATTERS OF INTEREST TO
AORICULTURISTS
Some Up-to-Date HInts About Gull
tivation of tho soil and Yields
Observation-Disclosures viticuIturs and
Horticulture.



CONDENSED from Farmers Review
Stenographic Report of Northern Illinois
horticultural Conventon.)
Mr.. Friend.-I don't believe strong
mulching is worth anything unless you
low. The air can escape through the
mulching and the ground cracks open
and gets just as dry below the mulching
as it could get where there is no mulch
Ing l have place on my farm that
call the bad acre" When a nursery
man sends me tree that is not true
to name l plant 1t on that bad acre.
Among others l have little apple
tree near where l throw the barnyard
manure. This little tree through the
summer had from four to eight inches
OF dry manure all around it, close to 1t,
so 1t would serve as mulching If mulch
Ing was any good. | have dug that
away after the season was over and
found the ground cracked open. Such
q mulch may keep the smaller rains
from going down to the roots and In
that case 1t doesn't help the tree bit
am confirmed in the notion that such
mulching as would be applied by the
farmer, is Of little value. believe that
the only mulch that Is worth anything
Ii to harrow and dig up the ground.
Mr.. Hoxie.-Mr. Bailey is credited
with saying, IF you have watering
pot, throw it away" This gentleman
believes in stirring the soil.
DR.. Humphrey.-There is differ
ence between mulching all over your
farm and little local mulch around
trees. Nature makes mulch In the
forest by the leaves. Nature mulches
your strawberry bed with leaves in the
winter. mulch my apple trees, but l
just mulch them with the potato vines
grown In my orchard. l commence
digging the last of June or the first OF
July and invariably put the tops OF
my potatoes around the trees. 1t 10 a
little local affair and it isn't mulching
the whole ground. l have never found
that 1t did particle of harm, but l
believe it has always done good, and
the trees have fourished under little
mulching of that kind. l am sure 1t
holds moisture because l have exam
ined many times. A little mulch
around individual trees of nearly every
sort I believe to be good thing and
SO far as l know makes a thrifty and
long-lived growth. l never had but
one calamity. l undertook to feed the
catalpa as I would feed the cherry and
apple, and the trees nearly died. /
dwarfed them so they never amounted
to anything.
Mr.. Morgan do not believe In
trees. do not care to use 1t
on anything but asparagus beds and
pie plant While on the farm always
my pie plant heavily with
horse manure.
Q.-At what time?
Mr.. Morgan.-In the fall. I always
did, and l always had the largest. fin
est kind Of pie plant and asparagus.
Mr.. Clybourn.-On my place In
southern Illinois l raise peaches. One
If my neighbors raises the same sort
If peaches that do. but mine were far
-eason was that had the ground Gull
iv2ted between the trees and the fruit
proved to be larger and far superior.
Mr.. Hartwell.-I want to endorse
dr. Morgan This mulching for saw
ng labor is delusion and snare
You cannot save labor by mulching
FOUR mulching don't hold the moist