The Stored Food. 95 



behaved similarly throughout the season. The 

 mulched blackberries, raspberries and Victoria cur- 

 rants seemed to be a day or two behind the others 

 in starting, but they very soon caught 'up, and there 

 was no difference in season of bloom and maturity 

 of fruit. 



With the strawberries the case was far different. 

 General Putnam and Oregon Everbearing were 

 mulched March 25, when the ground was completely 

 t ha wed out. The mulch covered the plants and the 

 entire space between the rows to the depth of three 

 inches. On the 15th of May, this mulch was re- 

 moved. At this time, the unmulched plants were in 

 full leaf, and were nearly ready to bloom. The 

 plants under the mulch were just starting into leaf, 

 and the growth was weak and bleached. The plants 

 were endeavoring to push themselves through the 

 cover to the light and air. The mulch was forked 

 off the plants, and they gradually assumed a normal 

 color and habit, and bloomed June 1. The bloom 

 was delayed from ten days to two weeks, according 

 to the depth of the covering. The plants did not 

 seem to recover entirely, however, and the fruitage 

 was somewhat lighter than on the normal plants ; 

 but it was delayed about a week. 



All this is what the botanist would have ex- 

 pected. It is well known that plants store up 

 starchy matters in their bulbs or branches, to be 

 used in the growth of the adjacent parts in early 

 spring. The earliest bloom of spring is supported 

 by this store of nutriment, rather than by food 



