The Goodland republic. [volume] (Goodland, Kan.) 1891-1907, 1906-04-20
NOW IS THE TIME FORlGARDEH
so a TALK on MULCH MAY BE OF
BENEFIT.
Experience Shows That Straw Mulch
Saves Labor, II Applied at Right
Time OF the Season

The people OF the town and OF the
country at this time Of the year busy
themselves more or less in gardening
The patch has been selected and pIoW-
ed-here for summer flowers, there
for potatoes, tomatoes, cabbage, let
tuce, etc More and more people in
this western country find that IL IS not
only pleasure TO have something
green growing in a garden patch, but
they md II Is also profitable. Some
know how to garden, with good re-
suits, some do not. That flowers
grow best for those who love them
most, is true, because love watches,
experiments and nurtures the object
Of its feeling 1t finds out the causes
that best promote growth and applies
them
Inasmuch as many people who have
gardens are not fixed at all times to
do the necessary cultivation, IL is OF
interest TO such TO know TO what eX-
tent a mulch OF straw or other mater
iai VIII take the place OF cultivation
On the whole the work OF mulch
seems TO indicate that on the farm
where cultivation OF the garden is
likely to be neglected in midsummer
a mulch Of straw can be used profit
ably as a substitute. For the best
results the mulch should not be ap-
piled until the ground has become
thoroughly warmed up and after two
or three civilizations have been given.
The mulch may then be safely ap-
piled to such vegetables as cabbage,
tomatoes, potatoes, and beans, and
the garden left to take care Of itself
the rest Of the season
The term mulch as generally used
means a layer Of litter applied to the
surface Of the ground primarily for
the purpose Of retarding evaporation
from the soil Mulches are thus used
as a substitute for cultivation to con-
serve the moisture in the soil in sum-
mer and to keep down weeds. They
are also used as winter and spring
coverings for lOw-grOwing small fruits
to retard Towering and fruiting and
thus to protect them from injury by
late frOsts. What is termed a soil
mulch or dust mulch is maintain
ed by frequent cultivation Of the sur
face soil, and, like the ordinary mulch,
is an effective means Of retarding ev-
apOratiOn. Among the common ma
terials used for mulching crops are
straw, marsh hay, and leaves. These
materials are usually applied to the
whole surface of the soil in layers
four to six inches deep. Mulching
crops with straw or other litter is not
very common. On a large scale it is
too expensive. 1t frequently happens
on a farm, however, that spring finds
an old straw stack in the barnyard
that viii be practically yalueless for
feed the following winter. Can it be
used prOf1tably as a mulch?
This question was investigated quite
thoroughly by Prof r. A. Emerson
at the Nebraska station. His expert
ments were made to determine how
mulching vegetables compares with
the most thorough cultivation as a
general farm practice. Old straw was
the material used After settling, the
layer applied was about four inches
deep A large number Of different
vegetables were grown In general it
was found that mulching in Nebraska
gave much better results in normal or
dry seasons than in wet seasons
The value Of the mulch ia cOnserv-
ing the soil moisture was found TO
[ be quite marked Soil samples taken
] one season in July and August showed
the moisture content to depth OF
/ six inches to be 1872 per cent, as COM
| pared with III per cent in euItivat=
/ ed soil. When the mulch was applied
| early in the season before the ground
/ became thoroughly wet, il often had
a retarding effect on the growth OF
/ the vegetables. With early spring We
I getables, like lettuce, which require
I only a few civilizations, # was found
| cheaper and better to cultivate than
/ to mulch; but with lOnger-growing
crops that require frequent cultivation
/ throughout the season, such as cab
| bage, tomatoes, etc, mulching usually
/ proved more effective and cheaper
/ than cultivation.