210 GARDENING FOR PLEASURE. 



moisture from the soil during the dry time we are apt to 

 have between the flowering and the ripening of the Straw- 

 berry. Besides all this, it makes a clean bed for the fruit 

 to rest upon, and should a driving shower come up as 

 the fruit is ripening, there is no danger that the berries 

 will be splashed with mud and spoiled. The utility of a 

 mulch is not confined to the Strawberry among fruits. 

 Raspberries and Currants are much benefited by it, and 

 bv its use a gardener of my acquaintance succeeds in 

 growing fine crops of the choice varieties of English 

 Gooseberries, a fruit with which very few succeed in our 

 hot summers. Newly-planted trees, whether of fruit or 

 ornamental kinds, are much benefited by a mulch, and 

 its application often settles the question of success or 

 failure. We have known a whole Pear orchard to be 

 mulched, and the owner thought its cost was more than 

 repaid by saving the fallen fruit from bruises. The root- 

 ing of a layer is by some gardeners thought to be facili- 

 tated by placing a flat stone over the buried branch; the 

 fact being that the stone acts as a mulch, and prevents 

 the soil around the cut portion from drying out, and 

 greatly favors the rooting process. Even in the vegetable 

 garden mulching is found useful, especially with Cauli- 

 flowers, which find our summers quite too dry. 



The material of the mulch is not of much importance, 

 the effect being mainly mechanical, and one kind of litter 

 will answer as well as another. The material will be gov- 

 erned in great measure by locality. Those Hving near 

 salt water will find salt hay, as hay from the marshes is 

 called, the most readily procured. Those who live near 

 pine forests use the fallen leaves, or pine needles, as they 

 are called. In the grain-growing districts straw is abund- 

 ant, and nothing can be better. It can be applied more 

 thoroughly if run through a cutter, though the thrashing 

 machine often makes it short enough. Leaves are na- 

 ture's own mulch, and answer admirably. If there is 



