The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1903-08-02
HON IO MULCH
THE VEGETABLES
Nebraska Experiment Station
Issues a Bulletin.
SURE REMEDY FOR FLEAS
Other Topics of Interest to the
Farmer.
SURE REMEDY FOR FLEAS

The Nebraska experiment station has
Just issued Bulletin No. 80, entitled 'Ex-
periments in Mulching Garden Vegeta-
bIes." 1t gives the results of tests con-
Quoted at the experiment station during
the past three years, showing the merits
of a straw mulch as compared with cuI-
tivation in growing the common garden
vegetables.
1t was found that straw mulches give
better results in normal or rather dry
years than in seasons of unusually heavy
rainfall and better results on fairly high
land than in very low places. That
Inulches converse soil moisture as well
rs thorough cultivation was shown d.
rectly by determinations of soil mois-
ture in the mulched and cultivated plats
OF vegetables and Indirectly by the Wig
Orous growth of the plants. Mulches
cause some vegetables to mature later
while the others no delay was noticed.
Grasshoppers sometimes injure mulched
vegetables more than cultivated ones,
but plant lice and chinch bugs are appar
emily held in check by mulches Late
ed plants more than cultivated ones. max
ing it inadvisable to mulch very tender
vegetables that require the full season
for proper development. Early spring
vegetables, which require only a few
civilizations, can usually be grown more
cheaply by cultivation than by mulching.
Furthermore. very little mulching. before
the ground has become thoroughly warm,
IS apt TO retard the growth of vege-
tables. Summer and fall vegetables. on
the other hand which require frequent
EuitvatIon throughout the season, are
grown more cheaply by mulching than
cultivation. Moreover, the yield and
quality of vegetables are often improved
by mulching
Many vegetables cannot be mulched
until they have become well established
and the weather has become warm, thus
requiring some preliminary cultivation.
Such cultivation as is commonly given
farm gardens is better for most Yegeta-
bles in early spring than mulching, but
mulching is just as surely better in mid
summer than the neglect which is the
cOmmo nthing in farm gardens at that
time of year. The experiment station
tests have indeed shown mulching to be
better in many cases than the most thor
ough cultivation throughout the summer.
Results very favorable to mulching have
been secured with cabbage. tomatoes,
beans, cucumbers. potatoes, and sweet
potatoes. In all these cases the yields
have been increased on the whole quite
decidedly by mulching and the required
labor increased at the same time. Mulch
ed cabbage produced larger heads than
cultivated cabbage, and there was less
injury from rot. The vigor of tomato
plants was decreased by mulching. but
the yield of fruit increased. The fruit
was also cleaner and less subject to rot.
Mulched cucumbers produced perfect
fruits during dry periods when the fruit
from the cultivated plants was small
and imperfect The quality of potatoes
has not been hurt by mulching except
in wet places.
In case Of transplanted onions, satisfy,
beets. carrots, parsnips, peas and melons
the results are not decidedly in favor of
either Of the two methods, both the
yields and the required labor being about
the same.
From the tests at the experiment sta
fion, it is thought unwise to mulch drilled
onions. lettuce and sweet corn. With
drilled onions. the stand of plants is I'M
usually hurt by mulching. With lettuce,
It is also difficult TO spread the mulch
without injury TO the stand. and the
crop is harvested so early that It is not
worth while to mulch. With sweet corn.
The yields are about the same in nor
NAL season whether mulched or cultivat-
ed, but this crop requires so few cultiva-
tions thatm ulching is hardly profitable
in a wet season mulching decreases the
yield decidedly. r. A EMERSON.