200 THE GOLD MINE 



after the rest were up these came on, blooming so much 

 later than the rest. It would not do to try this, save 

 on strong, well established clumps. I have heard 

 that mowing off the tops when they are a few inches 

 high would retard them, but never wished to try it. 



This plan works well: Suppose you have a row ten 

 •rods long. At one end you have no mulching; then 

 you put on a little, increasing it till you put it on a 

 foot deep at the farther end. The covering should be 

 put on when the ground is frozen solid. You will note 

 quite a difference in the same row in the time of bloom- 

 ing. On the other hand, up in Minnesota, some Pae- 

 onies that were not mulched were very late in coming 

 up, after a severe winter. What was the trouble ? One 

 fall in that state T had occasion to dig up a large clump, 

 to transplant for a friend. The previous winter had 

 been bare of snow, and very cold. I found that the 

 exposed buds had all been killed. But the plants would 

 not give up. They had absolutely formed new buds, 

 and of course that took time. Though as far north as 

 Manitoba they come out all right with just a snow 

 mulching, yet it is much safer to put on a covering, 

 because some seasons the snow may be light. When 

 I can do so I mulch in this latitude. It is not neces- 

 sary for root protection, and yet a good coat of manure 

 pays. Many are at the trouble of using liquid manure ; 

 but if you have plenty on the ground, every rain will do 

 the work for you, and if it is dry, irrigation will serve 

 the same purpose. 



