94 The Principles of Fruit-growing. 
wagon load of mulch was sufficient to cover about 
ten feet of row. On the 29th of March, these 
mulches were examined, and, although the frost had 
left the fields fully ten days before, the earth under 
the cover was still solidly frozen and from six to 
eight inches of snow persisted. Here, then, was an 
excellent opportunity to study the effects of a cold 
soil upon the vegetation of plants. On the 138th of 
April, there was still frost and snow under the goose- 
berry mulches, and yet both mulched and unmulched 
plants seemed to be starting alike. It was appar- 
ent that the temperature of the soil exerted no 
influence upon the swelling of the buds, for the 
buds which projected above the mulch were as for- 
ward as those upon untreated plants, while the buds 
immediately under the mulch, upon the same twig, 
were wholly dormant. The illustration (Fig. 8, page 
93) shows a gooseberry twig upon which this differ- 
ence is apparent. The twig was covered up to the 
point indicated by the mark (a). The protruding 
portion is seen to have pushed its buds forward, 
except the very tip, where the shoot was winter 
killed. Shoots of which the tips were caught under 
the mulch showed perfectly dormant buds at both 
ends, while the protruding middle portion was as 
forward as twigs upon unmulched plants. Moreover, 
the protruding portions of the mulched plants main- 
tained their forwardness, and produced leaves, flow- 
ers and fruit at the same time as the contiguous 
plants which were not treated. Crandall currants, 
Juneberries, roses, grapes, and all the tree fruits, 
