106 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Pub. Doc. 



pino needles, coarse strawy manure, or, best of all, cheap 

 meadow bay or cnt grass. This latter does not mat down 

 too closely on the plants, and when held in place by brnsh or 

 trash wood it makes an excellent mulch. It is well to bear 

 in mind that this mulch is not intended to prevent the ground 

 from freezing, but rather to keep it frozen until late in the 

 spring; indeed, the mulch is of more value during the month 

 of March than at any other time, for it is then that the un- 

 mulchcd strawberry bed is injured the most by the alternate 

 freezing and thawing of the soil. The mulch can safely be 

 removed in this vicinity about April 10. In some cases 

 where plants are not required from the bed, and where the 

 ground is free from weeds, it is best not to remove all the 

 mulch, but rather let the plants grow up through it in order 

 to save the extra work of replacing a mulch about the plants 

 at picking time to keep the ground moist and the fruit clean. 

 ISTone of the other small fruits need winter protection, with 

 the possible exception of the raspberry, which, in some 

 places, winter kills when not laid down. If it is necessary 

 to lay the canes down, this should be done the latter part of 

 November before the ground freezes, but care should be taken 

 to uncover them before the buds start. 



Pruning. 



This is a very necessary operation, especially with the 

 bush fruits ; the currants and gooseberries in particular 

 should be carefully attended to, for the size of the fruit and 

 the continued life of the bush depend very much upon this 

 important operation. All wood three years of age should 

 be removed, as we get our best fruit in both currants and 

 gooseberries on the one and two year wood. The center of 

 the bushes should be kept open. Generally speaking, about 

 two-thirds of the new wood should be removed in order that 

 what is left may make a good sturdy grow^th. 



With the raspberry and blackberry pruning consists 

 largely in removing the wood which has borne a crop, but 

 the canes should all be cut back in the spring to about 4 

 feet, as the best fruit comes from the large buds near the 

 heavy part of the cane. Summer pruning should also be 



