1994 



The Cornell Reading Courses 



5. To save labor at a busy time. The manure or other material may 

 be applied during a slack time, and, as it does away with cultivation, 

 the busy farmer is free during the rush of haying and subsequent catching 

 up of work that has been neglected. 



The materials used for mulching are. generally manure, straw, leaves, 



lawn clippings, or moss. Excel- 

 sior, sawdust, and shavings are 

 of less value, for the woody mat- 

 ter may be a detriment, especially 

 ^^•hen turned under year after year 

 in large amounts. If manure is 

 used, it should be applied at least 

 two to four inches thick, having 

 the thickest part of the layer in 

 the center of the row. It is ad- 

 \-isable not to have the manure 

 against the plant because of 

 possible injury' or discoloration. 

 Leaves or straw should be used in 

 the same way. 



From tests carried on at dif- 

 ferent experiment stations, it has 

 been found that by mulching 

 asparagus, rhubarb, cabbage, to- 

 matoes, beans, cucumbers, celery, 

 and potatoes, the yields have been 

 greatly increased; diseases have 

 been less prevalent; the vegetables 

 and in some cases the quality of the product has been 

 It has been found advisable, however, not to mulch 



Fig. 164. — Mulching with manure 



have been larger 



much improved. 



lettuce, radishes, spinach, and a few other quick maturing crops because 



of the short time before the crop is harv^csted. In the case of lettuce or 



crops of a similiar nature, the mulch injures the leaves b\^ becoming 



entangled with them, and sometimes by causing discoloration. 



SUMMER APPLICATIONS OF MANURE AND FERTILIZER 



Celery, lettuce, chard, com, tomatoes, and a few other vegetables are 

 often benefited by application of food during the growing season. Often- 

 times a side dressing of fertilizers or manures is used to hasten the growth 

 of the plants and thus to obtain early maturity. The different materials 

 that are so used are hen manure, nitrate of soda, fish scrap, dried blood, 

 tankage, and liquid manure. In some particular cases a complete ferti- 



