The ranch. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1902-1914, 1907-12-15
MULCHING THE STRAWBERRIES

MULcHING THE STRAWBERRIES.
November is the month in which
strawberry fields in northern ATTITUDES
are covered for winter protection,
and it is the best month in which to
do the work. The time has gone by
when the question, ito mulch or not
to mulch" need be discussed. Good
horticultural practice demands that
mulching be done not only as protec-
ton from the severe cold of winter,
but because Cd alternate freezing
and thawing are rendered impossible
by mulching, thus preventing the
straining and breaking down of the
plants; (2) mulching keeps the
plants dormant, preventing to q de-
gree extra early blooming and re.
ducing the danger from late spring
frosts; 60 mulching insures clean
berries at harvest time; (4 mulching
retains moisture in the soil at fruit
ing time, just when the plants require
the most ample supply; and 90 it
gives to the strawberry grower COM
plete assurance that his plants are
coming out all right in the spring.
Not only is mulching of great adj
vantage to the strawberry plants,
but the soil is benefited beyond esti-
mate by this covering. The mineral
substances in the soil, which consti-
tute the feed that nourishes the
plants, would be lost in large guam
titles were the open spaces left to
the ravages of wind and rain. The
fertility is conserved, the moisture is
retained and the soil enters upon it's
work in the spring fully equipped to
do it's part in producing big crops of
big red berries. Certainly no argu-
ment is needed in behalf of a prac-
tice that will accomplish all of these
desirable results.
What shall be used as mulch? The
things pressed into service as mulch
are numerous and vastly different,
and range from pine cones in the
south, where vines requires no COW
ering, to seaweed along the North
Atlantic Coast, where nature is shy
of grains and grasses. The most sat
isfactOry mulch we have found is old
and somewhat rotted wheat straw,
and following in the order of excel
lence may be named oat and rye
straw, shredded corn fodder, thickly
sOwn corn, sorghum pomace, marsh
hay Old leaves are all right to
place between the rows, but some
thing having the form of straw should
be put over the plants.
The time to apply is in the fall
after severe frosts have begun. Up
to that time the root development of
the strawberry plant continues, and
this the grower wishes to encourage,
of course. Then the mulch comes
on to protect the plants from injury
and to insure a healthy spring foli-
age, which in turn makes certain
vigorous growth of the plant when
the gentle rains and warm sunshine
of spring return.
The half tone engraving herewith
is an illustration of the manner in
which mulching is applied to the hun
dred acres of strawberry plants on
the r. M. Kellogg Company's straw
berry plant farm at Three Rivers,
Mich. Hundreds of tons are annually
used in this work. The products of
this farm go to nearly every country
in the United States, and to many
foreign lands. Mulching is one of
the methods followed to insure per-
feet plants, and with an annual crop
of from 100000 to 25,000,000 plants
1T is easily to be understood that
is considered by this great