Il8 MAKING HORTICULTURE PAY 



course of the winter, it is best to put on the mulch 

 as soon as the ground is sufficiently frozen to allow 

 driving upon it with a loaded cart or wagon. Where 

 the freezing of the soil is only superficial or only 

 temporary, if at all, the mulch serves the purpose 

 of a protection from the wind more than from frost, 

 and in such sections the mulch should be put on as 

 soon as active growth ceases. Sometimes it is 

 allowed to remain until after the crop is harvested." 

 I sometimes remove the mulch early and give the 

 plants thorough cultivation before the fruits are 

 more than half grown ; then, if it seems desirable 

 to protect the fruit from the earth, the mulch is 

 replaced for that purpose." 



As to mulching strawberries, W. W. Farnsworth 

 of Lucas county, Ohio, says : " Our Michigan 

 friends do not mulch strawberries as much as we 

 do, and they have more snow. Their principal 

 market is Chicago, where they find that early 

 berries bring the best prices. The strawberry not 

 mulched will ripen several days earlier than the 

 mulched ones, so a great many having sandy soil 

 do not mulch. Mr. Welch of Douglas plants rows 

 of corn through the strawberries, every three or 

 four rows, I think. He lets the stalks stand, and 

 if they do so, fall over. This protects from the wind, 

 and catches the snow, and at the same time it 

 acts as a mulch. Of this it can be said that it does 

 not rob the soil of moisture as do oats and barley 

 when used as mulch." 



PICKING 



" Picking strawberries on my place," writes J. F. 

 Thomas of Cambria county, Pennsylvania, " usually 

 begins about June 15 or 20 and continues through 



