STATE HOKTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 151 



Mr. Meyers' orchard is the one spoken of in my article last year, 

 as casting its fruit and leaves so early, the leaves also showing a 

 somewhat diseased condition. It may be remembered that lack of 

 drainage was the cause given there. Dea. Miles' orchard was no- 

 ticed last year as one that was well cared for. In Mr. St. John's 

 orchard mulching did not seem to produce any very decided results. 



In regard to mulching young trees, I would quote the following 

 from a pamphlet issued by J. Webster & Son, nurserymen, of Cen- 

 tralia : 



''" It is of vital importance, and should never be neglected. It 

 prevents the moisture from escaping, and maintains an equitable 

 temperature about the roots. The materials used may be long ma- 

 nure, litter, straw, grass, hay, sawdust, or taubark, which should be 

 spread on the surface around the tree for the space of from four to 

 five feet, and three to six inches deep. Bearing trees may be bene- 

 fited by mulching heavily in the winter, which will tend to prevent 

 an early development of fruit buds, enabling them to escape the 

 effects of late frosts. We cannot recommend mulching of newly- 

 planted trees earlier than the 25th of June." 



In another paragraph, under the title of "A Word of Warning," 

 he says, further: 



" We do not recommend indiscriminate mulching. Our readers 

 must be governed by their surroundings, and good common sense. 

 There is some good to be gained by mulching in the three months 

 of summer. In the fall and winter months there are in very many 

 places serious drawbacks to the mulching system, on account of field 

 mice of various kinds. * * It is by far the safest to take all 

 mulch from the trees at the time of fall rains in October. Clear 

 away all weeds and mulch entirely. Examine thoroughly for borers 

 about the collar and trunks of trees." 



Mr. S. T. Brush, of Carbondale, 111., mulched the whole of his 

 orchard last spring with manure and ashes, some coal ashes and cin- 

 ders being used, I believe. From several talks with Mr. Brush, I 

 find that he is a firm believer that one reason many of our orchards 

 do not yield better crops and present a better appearance, is that they 

 lack nourishment. The mulching was done largely to supply some, 

 of this lack, and at the same time to equalize the moisture. He 

 thinks the mulching did his trees a great deal of good. Of his young 

 trees, however, he thinks he did not mulch soon enough, as many of 

 them died this year, it being an unusual one in the severity of the 

 drouth. 



I can say the same of some trees I set last spring. I put grass 

 round them in June, during some of the rains, but noticing that 

 this afforded a harbor for cut-worms and army worms, some of the 

 first climbing up to eat the apple-tree leaves, I cleared it all away 

 from the trees, leaving it away till the caterpillars had disiipi)eared. 

 The result was that the ground was then drying, and my trees would 



