CONSIDERATIONS REGARDING MULCHING. 37 



Discussion. 



Hon. Marshall P. Wilder was called on, and said that Col. 

 "Wilson had full}' covered the subject. Thoroughh' stirring the surface 

 of the soil enables us to avoid the danger of injuries by injudicious 

 mulching. Tan has the tendency mentioned by the essa3'ist, to 

 draw the roots too near the surface, and other materials are more 

 or less objectionable for the same reason. The young rootlets are 

 liable to injury by frost if too near the surface. Another objection 

 to mulching is the production of weeds by the use of improper 

 material, such as hay. The speaker uses rowen or aftermath for 

 mulching his strawberries, covering the ground not more than an 

 inch deep, so as to permit the access of the sun and air. The 

 short clippings of lawn grass form one of the best materials for 

 mulching. There is an advantage in mulching, whether b}' tine 

 soil or otherwise, but the former is the cheapest and best way of 

 effecting the objects aimed at. It should be remembered that all 

 the food of plants must be in a soluble state, and hence the 

 necessity of retaining in the soil the moisture which percolates 

 into it. 



George A. Tapley said that when he began planting young pear 

 trees, years ago, he mulched nearly all over the ground ; but one 

 dry da}' his mulching took fire, and, though he saved his buildings, 

 he lost some of his trees. After that, he discontinued mulching 

 and took up thorough cultivation and fine tilth instead, and had had 

 no difficult}' since. 



William D. Philbrick stated that the currant and gooseberry, as 

 well as the raspberry and blackberry, are much benefited by 

 mulching : they like a cool, moist soil ; while the grape, which 

 needs all the heat of our summers, and more, does better without 

 mulching. As a general thing the action of the cultivator is better 

 than mulching. 



Leander Wetherell mentioned some instances where mulching 

 had been extremely beneficial. In one garden which he knew, 

 where the soil was gravelly, trees were preserved by mulching. 

 Capt. Pierce, of Arlington, who was called the " King of Or- 

 chardists," used to mulch under his Williams apple trees just 

 before the fruit began to fall, and afterwards raked up the 

 material for other purposes. The editor of the " Rural New 

 Yorker " mulches his potatoes about two inches in depth with 

 swamp hay run through a cutter. The best mulch is the free use 



