04 The Principles of Fruit-growing. 



wagon load of mulch was sufficient to cover about 

 ten feet of row. On the 29th of March, these 

 mulches were examined, and, although the frost had 

 left the fields fully ten days before, the earth under 

 the cover was still solidly frozen and from six to 

 eight inches of snow persisted. Here, then, was an 

 excellent opportunity to study the effects of a cold 

 soil upon the vegetation of plants. On the 13th of 

 April, there was still frost and snow under the goose- 

 berry mulches, and yet both mulched and unmulched 

 plants seemed to be starting alike. It was appar- 

 ent that the temperature of the soil exerted no 

 influence upon the swelling of the buds, for the 

 buds which projected above the mulch were as for- 

 ward as those upon untreated plants, while the buds 

 immediately under the mulch, upon the same twig, 

 were wholly dormant. The illustration (Fig. 8, page 

 93) shows a gooseberry twig upon which this differ- 

 ence is apparent. The twig was covered up to the 

 point indicated by the mark (A). The protruding 

 portion is seen to have pushed its buds forward, 

 except the very tip, where the shoot was winter 

 killed. Shoots of which the tips were caught under 

 the mulch showed perfectly dormant buds at both 

 ends, while the protruding middle portion was as 

 forward as twigs upon unmulched plants. Moreover, 

 the protruding portions of the mulched plants main- 

 tained their forwardness, and produced leaves, flow- 

 ers and fruit at the same time as the contiguous 

 plants which were not treated. Crandall currants, 

 Juneberries, roses, grapes, and all the tree fruits, 



