EXPERIMENTS IN MULCHING. 



desirable length or thickness, by hitching the first loop to the"axle of a grindstone or other 

 crank, and feeding as in making common rope. And inch and a half for large, and an 

 inch in thickness for small trees, are the sizes I find most suitable. The}' are put on the 

 trees by beginning with a half-hitch at the bottom and winding upward, merely tight 

 enough to hold their position. These ropes, by shading the bark from a scorching sun — 

 keep the sap cool and healthful, without depriving it of the necessary circulation of air. 

 Of a row of standard pear trees planted in the early spring, those thus treated are at this 

 time full three weeks in advance of others not rope-wound. Of cherries, the rope-wound 

 trees are fresher and fuller of foliage, with fruit in abundance now swelling, while those 

 not wound have made but little growth, and have not set a fruit. The same difference is 

 observable on the plum and peach. I am thus far, fully persuaded of its salutary influ- 

 ence, and that it will effectually check the bursting of the bark, and the guming of stone 

 fruits, from which they rarely long survive. This experiment has been successively made 

 for many seasons, the present embracing more than a hundred trees. I would add, also, 

 the roots of all are mulched with spent tan, to a circumference at least equal with the top. 



Mulching Trees. — It is surprising to witness the difference between the growth of 

 trees, and especially the dwarf pear trees, from the effects of mulching the roots. Such 

 trees I have found to have made masses of fibrous roots in a single season, nearly if not 

 quite double to others similarly situated in every respect, but without the mulching. 



So long as our tree propagators will determine to grow their trees for market, with long 

 and bare stems five to seven feet high, before heading them in while in the nursery rows, 

 it may be a settled axiom, that such trees will not do without strawing and mulching. 

 Every season proves this in the loss of multitudes of beautiful and apparently thrifty 

 bearing trees, especially among the cherry and peach. A neighboring friend whose cher- 

 ries have long been the admiration of all observers, from their fine fruit and luxuriant 

 habit, is fast losing his stock from this cause. The bursting and exudation of the gum 

 poisoning the surrounding parts — stopping the pores of the bark below, and forming a 

 mass of flint like substance, which gradually increases until the cellular tissues are entirely 

 blocked up, when the tree dies. 



That this malady is produced by the action of the sun, and other external causes, upon 

 the long and naked trunk, there can be no doubt. The outer bark hardens to such aw ex- 

 tent, that its expansion, does not keep pace with the growing tissues beneath — a yeiat for 

 the over accumulating sap is a necessary result. Strawing or shading the stem will 

 remedy this, as the outer bark is then kept in the same progress of growth as are the in- 

 ner. The barbarous custom of slitting, will oft times produce relief — but when cut too 

 deep produces the same disease. 



Mulching Strawberries. — In a former number of the Horticulturist I detailed sfjue 

 experiments on the virtues of spent tan, as tested by many years experience. Those re- 

 marks having elicited many inquiries from strawberry growers, allow me to add, yet 

 another valuaVjle feature in its use, viz: earliness in fruiting without forcing. 



There is not by the concurrent testimony of many individuals comprising the Buffalo 

 Horticultural Society, a strawberry within their grounds (June 4th) more than a third 

 grown, and generally yet merely blossoming — while from my mulched beds of the varie- 

 ties. Early Scarlet, Hovey's Seedling, Burr's Seedling and Necked Pine, we have gathered 

 ripe fruit from the first of June. The whole crop is ripening and coloring well, and is at 

 least two weeks in advance of those in ordinary culture. The plants show great vigor 

 iage and fruit. On stools, which were runners planted in May last year, an hund 

 enty berries were counted on many of them. Here then is a valuable fruit easi 



