106 THE COMPLETE GARDEN 



Lawns — Mulching of. After the first year it is generally not 

 necessary to protect lawns in winter. If a mulch is desired use straw 

 or well-rotted manure old enough so that there is no danger from weed 

 seeds. In the spring the coarse manure should be removed and the 

 finer portions pressed in with a heavy roller. Heavy, coarse manure is 

 apt to suffocate the growing grass and leave bare spots on the lawn. 



General Conditions. Fall-planted material, especially perennials, 

 and in the heavier soils, should be well protected during the first 

 winter with a mulch of strawy manure or hardwood leaves. Compact 

 or fresh manures should be avoided. Fresh manures, free from 

 straw, will burn the plants, and compact manures will cause decay 

 and fermentation, due to lack of aeration. A good strawy manure 

 should be used. In the spring the litter may be removed, and the 

 finer portions of the mulch spaded into the beds. When leaves are 

 used, provision must be made to prevent them from blowing away. 

 Boards, branches, or wire netting can be used for this purpose. Mulch- 

 ing, applied very early, may be harmful by reason of encouraging late 

 root action and top growth. Therefore, it is always advisable to 

 delay root mulching until, after several light freezes, a crust has formed 

 on the ground. Evergreen boughs, when procurable, make an ex- 

 cellent protective covering. After a dry fall most plants, except some 

 perennials, are benefited by being thoroughly soaked with water before 

 freezing weather occurs. This is especially true of conifers and broad- 

 leaved evergreens. Cultivation in shrub and perennial beds can be 

 stopped as soon as danger from weeds maturing their seeds is over. 

 This will furnish some protection and will also discourage late growth 

 of plants. 



