Rural School Leaflet. 961 



A list of early vegetables that should be started inside in April, and 

 the plants set out as soon as the ground is fit: Brussels sprouts, 

 cabbage, cauliflower, celery, celeriac. 



A Hst of late vegetables, the seed of which should be started in April 

 and plants set out after the tenth of May: cucumber, egg plant, melon, 

 pepper, tomato. 



VI 

 TPie Garden Mulch 



C. E. HUNN 



In many school -gardens as well as in many home gardens, the lack 

 of a good supply of water often results in a partial failure of the crop 

 or demands hard work in carrying water. This lack of water may be 

 overcome by the use of some kind of mulch. The mulch serves several 

 purposes: conserving moisture in the soil by preventing evaporation; 

 keeping the surface of the soil loose; protecting the plant roots from 

 injury by frost; and to a certain extent with some materials adding 

 plant food to the soil. The first two considerations are perhaps the 

 most important in the school-garden, and even where water may be 

 used in quantity it is often better to mulch the ground around the 

 plants than to use water too freely. 



Constant watering will cause heavy soil to become sodden and sour, 

 whereas by the use of two or three inches of mulch the soil will remain 

 loose and sweet. Mulch is also valuable on light, sandy soil where 

 evaporation is rapid. Plants demand moisture around the roots, but 

 do not thrive with their roots standing in water; and where a mulch 

 is used there is a constant supply of moisture rising through the soil 

 which will beheld near the surface by the mulch. 



The material that can be used as a mulch may be anything supplying 

 shade and lying close to the ground: short grass, straw, hay, coarse 

 manure, leaves, and old boards. Stirring the surface of the soil with a 

 hoe or rake will produce a " dust mulch " that will be of benefit; in 

 fact, in large gardens and with farm crops the stirring of the surface 

 soil is the only method of furnishing a mulch that can be used. 



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