32 THE GINSENG INDUSTRY. 



kind of fence is a matter that the grower must decide 

 for himself. 



The third protection is the mulch. Keep it upon 

 the bed both summer and winter. In the hot months 

 let it be light and shallow, but deep enough to check 

 the evaporation of moisture from the soil. In the cold 

 months make the mulch deep, so as to prevent all possi- 

 bility of the roots being injured by frost. For these 

 purposes there is nothing better than leaves, which are 

 the natural coverings of the plants at both seasons. 

 And there is no better way of collecting and holding 

 them in place than by the brush covering already 

 spoken of. 



MANURING. 



If the soil be naturally fertile, little or no manuring 

 will be necessary for the first crop. But for later crops, 

 and upon soils not already well supplied with plant food, 

 a dressing of well-rotted horse manure may be used 

 adyantageously. Avoid fresh manure as much as pos- 

 sible; but where no rotted manure can be obtained and 

 only fresh can be had, spread it in the autumn after the 

 tops of the plants have died down, and only then. It 

 should then do no harm, but if applied fresh in the 

 spring, there is danger of the plants becoming injured 

 by contact with strong solutions of the manure, particu- 

 larly while the plants are very young and are just push- 

 ing through the soil. 



Potash salts and phosphates have been experimented 

 with to a limited extent, and have been found beneficial. 

 But for general plantations, well-rotted horse manure at 

 the rate of about one wheelbarrow load to fifty square 

 feet upon ordinary soil will be found sufficient. If pot- 

 ash is to be given, choose the sulphate in preference to 

 the muriate, as the latter sometimes has an injurious 

 effect upon certain soils and the former does not. Phos- 

 phoric acid may be applied in the form of ground bone 



