CHAPTER XIII 

 SUMMER MULCH 



THERE is another way to hold the moisture in the 

 soil besides cultivating, and that is to cover the 

 soil around the plants with a mulch of grass cut- 

 tings, or weeds, or straw, or dead leaves or any- 

 thing light which will prevent nature and the sun 

 drawing the moisture out through the capillary 

 tubes. This mulch is more than a "brick on the 

 chimney." It is a blanket on the roof covering chim- 

 ney and all. 



The summer mulch is a very, very good thing for 

 people who are working on a clay soil, for clay soil 

 is heavy, hard to cultivate, gets very stiff after a 

 rain so you cannot cultivate for several days, then 

 begins to bake and crack and you have a hard time 

 generally. If a mulch is put around the plants 

 or between the rows the moisture dries out more 

 slowly and the soil will not bake so hard. Several 

 days after a heavy rain it is wise to move the mulch, 

 give the earth a good cultivation to let in light and 



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