210 TRANSACTIONS OF THE ILLINOIS 



mer the air will be condensed on that pitcher of cold water. It is 

 not drawn from the ground, but the ground only receives moisture 

 every nightjand even at ten o'clock, or at mid-day, you may wet your 

 boots in the clover while the common ground is throwing off its 

 steam from the great heat. 



Mr. Meehan — Yes, I think that is correct, and perhaps the plants 

 absorbed a little of that moisture. It preserves the plants from 

 withering away until such time as they can draw some moisture from 

 the soil. I should not think that they draw much from the atmos- 

 phere, but simply to supply the deficiency from the soil. 



Mr. Bliss — I think our knowledge here is that it may teach us a 

 different lesson in the West from what you learn in your district. 

 The surface with us is always moister with clover than with any 

 other crop. 



Mr. Meehan — The surface for half an inch or so, no doubt, is mois- 

 ter, from condensation of what was in the atmosphere, but I should 

 not think that there was as much moisture in a general way. 



Mr. Pierson — If a fruit-grower has an abundance of mulch, in the 

 form of forest leaves, or straw, or hay, would you use it or let the 

 ground go over to grass ? 



Mr. Meehan — Use the mulch, of course, especially in the West, 

 where you have to burn so much. 



Mr. Pierson — You would prefer it, of course ? 



Mr. Meehan — Yes, sir; considerably. 



Mr. Humphreys — Do you think that mulching would be preferable 

 to stirring the soil ? 



Mr. Meehan — Yes, sir; I think so, considerably, I should prefer 

 mulch to anything. 



Mr. Nelson — Did I understand yoa that we were not to prune any ? 



Mr. Meehan — Under certain circumstances it might be an advan- 

 tage. If a man broke his leg, it might be advantageous to cut it off, 

 but otherwise it would not. To prune with the idea that you help 

 the vitality of a tree is simply an error. 



Mr. Barry — There is a point where we do help the vigor of a tree 



