64 



MAINE STATE COLLEGE 



every instance the plants which were cut back were somewhat 

 delayed in maturing fruit, but the growth was enough more vigor- 

 ous so that with sufficient time the crop exceeded that from the 

 other plants. 



Effect of Mulching. — The use of a mulch of straw or other litter 

 as a means of conserving moisture has frequently been discussed. 

 While our own practice is to employ frequent cultivation for this 

 purpose, a comparison of the two methods of treatment was made 

 for purposes of illustration. 



Several plants of each of two varieties were placed in adjacent 

 plots, May 29. On June 30, after both lots were well started one 

 plot was given a heavy mulch of fine hay — lawn clippmgs — while 

 the other was given the same cultivation received by the general 

 plantation. The results are shown in the following table. 



TABLE VIII. 



Treatment. 



'3 



a 3 



+3 



o-r: 



'3 



CM . 



03 







be a 



iL*^ T 



'Di 1 







J^ 



2 B 





rj-r n 



Si^ 

















^ 



> s 





<'cB 



^3 



Davarf Champion. 















^uo". 9 



8 



2.1 



4.1 



67.6 





Aug. 13... 



21 



5.9 



4.-5 



86. 9 



Climax. 













Mulcbed 



Aug. 10... 



14 



4.4 



4.8 



63.5 



Cultivated 



Aug. 1.3... 



43 



13.6 



5.0 



72.1 



The plants which were mulched matured a few days earlier than 

 the others ; but in every other respect those receiving cultivation 

 were superior. The individual fruits were larger and nearly three 

 times as many as from the other lot, were ripened before frost, 

 while the per cent of marketable fruits was considerably higher. 



Frequent vs. Infrequent Cultivation. — The importance of frequent 

 stirring of the soil has often been emphasized. As a practical 

 demonstration of the relative effects of thorough and ''slack" cul- 

 ture, two lots of each of three varieties were planted side by side 

 and were treated alike in every way except that after removal to 

 the field one lot received only such cultivation as was necessary to 

 keep the weeds in subjection. The soil was a light, sandy loam, 



