122 Notes and Gleanings. 



Mulching Strawberries. — In the North, strawberries should be covered 

 to protect them from alternate freezing and thawing. If not done before, it may 

 even be done quite late in winter, as tlie principal injury is often done in early 

 spring, when tlie ground freezes up at night, and thaws out in the middle of the 

 day. If the vines are covered before the ground is frozen up in the fall, unless 

 the covering is very light, they are quite likely to be smothered. Better not 

 cover until the ground is frozen up ; and perhaps December or January is just 

 as good a time as earlier. If straw or hay is used, it may be put on loosely, about 

 six inches deep ; and indeed, if late, and the ground is frozen up solid, it may be 

 put on still deeper ; for the deep mulching does no harm so long as the ground 

 is frozen, but only by smothering the plants when they are not frozen. No mat- 

 ter how deep the mulching is between the rows, provided it is left shallow over 

 the crown of the plants. In the spring, the mulching must be raked entirely oft" 

 the plants, and left between the rows. If sufficiently heavy, it will prevent the 

 growth of all weeds, and keep the ground moist at the time of the ripening of 

 the berries, when, usually, the weather is rather dry, and the berries do not attain 

 their full size for want of moisture. At such times, it is hardly practicable t® 

 water, unless it be a very small bed ; and, although constant stirring of the 

 ground will prevent the ill effects of drought, it makes the berries dirty. Indeed, 

 one of the objects of mulching is to keep the berries clean. Some cultivators 

 cover very lightly through the winter, and in the spring fill up heavily with mulch 

 between the rows. On high, dry ground, there is not so much danger of winter- 

 killing as on that whic'.i is lo.v and wat ; and on such dry ground the plants will 

 come out strong in the spring : but, even then, the blossom-buds seem to be 

 stronger for a slight winter-protection. A few days' difference will occur in the 

 time of ripening between those which are left uncovered, or uncovered early, and 

 those which are uncovered late ; thus prolonjing the season by leaving some 

 covered late. 



Sorghum bagasse or refuse and corn-stalks are considered by some as the best 

 material for mulching. Leaves gathered up in the forest make a fine covering ; 

 and, if well rotted before applied, the plants will come out as green in the spring 

 as when they were covered. If no other material be at hand, a furrow of soil, 

 thrown upon the row immediately before the freezing-up of the ground, makes 

 a good winter-protection. Some recommend sowing the ground with oats at the 

 time of the last cultivation, say in August. This will grow up, and make a capital 

 winter-protection, with no possibility of smothering the plants. The same result 

 can be attained in most soils by allowing a growth of autumnal weeds. 



Of course, in the warmer localities, winter-protection is not necessary ; but the 

 mulch will be a benefit during the summer, whether the climate be cold or warm. 



Marhngo, III. C. C. Miller. 



Peaches at the West. — At a recent meeting of the Alton Horticultural 

 Society, Dr. Hull remarked that he had noticed that peaches with the reniform 

 gland, such as Bergen's Yellow, Barnard's Yellow, Columbia Smock, and La- 

 grange, have been unusually fine during the past season, which has been a re- 

 markably dry one ; while those with globose glands, with the exception of Old 

 Mixon, have suffered. The large Early York and many others rotted badly. 



