42 POPULAR FRUIT GROWING. 



poor practice. In the retentive soils of Minnesota, Wisconsin, 

 Iowa and -elsewhere, apples may be grown to great perfection 

 by spading up the soil about the tree for a distance of three 

 or four feet from the trunk each spring and later in the season 

 mowing the grass and weeds and putting them around the trees. 

 However, such locations are exceptional and the great truth re- 

 mains that, in general, orchards which are kept in sod are sel- 

 dom profitable. When orchards are in a stiff sod the rain water 

 is prevented from soaking into the land because an old sod on 

 steep hillsides sheds water readily. The grass roots also carry 

 up large amounts of water from the soil, which is evaporated 

 and lost. 



Mulching. Growing trees and other plants by mulching may 

 sometimes be successfully practiced. Some of the points to 

 be considered in this connection are: 



a There is a great difference in the protective values of 

 different kinds of mulch. A covering of coarse weeds may af- 

 ford little protection, while a mulch of hard-wood sawdust would 

 give excellent results. 



b Trees that are grown by mulching generally do best 

 when the soil about them is worked in the spring before the 

 mulch is applied. 



c A mulch may often be used to advantage close to trees 

 where the soil near them is not easily cultivated. In such cases it 

 is a good plan to protect the tree trunks with galvanized iron 

 wire netting from injuries by mice which are especially attracted 

 by the mulch. 



d Raspberries, blackberries, currants and gooseberries may 

 be grown by a system of mulching without cultivation but it is 

 seldom desirable to grow them in this way. 



e While the cultivation of the soil is not as successful in 

 the conservation of moisture as mulching, yet when the best 

 cultivation is practiced it is far better than mulching as com- 

 monly done. 



f Mulching fruit plants the year around without spring work- 

 ing of the soil tends to encourage a development of large surface 

 roots which may later be winter-killed. Large surface roots 

 also interfere with cultivation when mulching is discontinued, 



