80 MULCHINa. 



cultivation, and even water and mulching, hs far as con- 

 nient, is desirable. (See our article on that subject.) 



MULCHINa. 



This consists in covering the surface of the ground 

 with something that is not injurious to the plant, to 

 protect it from the intense heat of the sun or extreme 

 cold. From one to four inches in depth is the usual 

 custom ; the latter depth for pear, peach, and other 

 fruit trees. 



For the strawberry, we prefer, as soon as the plants 

 are set, at whatever season of the year, to cover the 

 entire surface of the ground, including the walks, with 

 tanbark, new or old, to the depth of half an inch or 

 one inch, care being taken that it is left very thin — 

 only a slight coating — immediately around the crown 

 of the plant. We have pursued this plan, and have 

 never known a single plant injui^ed by it ; on the con- 

 trary, all the plants have been decidedly benefited. 

 When using saAvdust, we have sometimes been a little 

 troubled with mildew, but never with tanbark. Some 

 of our most intelligent horticulturists say it is a specific 

 manure for the strawberry, which others deny ; we find 

 it, at least, the best thing brought to q-^t notice as a 

 mulch. It is excellent to retain moisture and keep the 

 earth in fine condition under it ; very few weeds will 



