Mulching 119 



alternate freezing and thawing in the fall, before the 

 ground is frozen hard, frequently injures the plants. On 

 the other hand, if a heavy mulch is applied before the 

 ground is frozen, the plants are likely to be smothered. 

 Furthermore, there may be warm weather late in the 

 fall which starts the plants into growth ; then they turn 

 yellow and are easily winter-killed. If the mulch is to 

 be heavy, it is best to apply not over two inches in the 

 fall and the remainder after the ground is frozen. A 

 manure spreader, with a large straw rack attached, may 

 be used to put on a thin fall mulch, which will cover 

 the crowns, but leave the foliage exposed. 



Where snow clings to the land all winter the mulch is 

 spread as soon as there is enough snow for sleighing. 

 This retards the season of blossoming and lessens the 

 danger from spring frosts. In northern Wisconsin and 

 parts of Canada, some growers prefer to wait until late 

 winter, just before the snow melts. In the prairie regions, 

 which are subject to high winds, it is advisable to mulch 

 immediately before a rain or snow, so that the material 

 will mat together and not be blown away. If using seedy 

 straw, the later it is applied, the less the chance that the 

 grains will sprout. Mulching is slow and often disagree- 

 able work ; if there is much to do, commence early. 



How much to u^e. 



Local climate, the variety, method of training and soil 

 determine the thickness of the winter mulch. In Ken- 

 tucky, two tons to the acre, or even less, may be suffi- 

 cient ; but in some parts of the Northwest eight to twelve 

 inches of settled straw are considered none too much. 

 "In this region," says N. E. Hansen, of South Dakota, 

 " it has been a constant fight with nature to mulch heavily 



