RENOVATING THE OLD BED 89 
In the East oat or rye straw is generally the 
material. Many places have quantities of 
pine needles, seaweed, leaves, evergreen 
boughs — all these are good. Near large 
cities, where stable manure is obtained for 
the hauling or at a low cost, it also is used 
for mulching. The list is so long that it 
would be nearly impossible to enumerate all 
the materials that could be used. Enough 
to say that all straws or other litter should not 
contain large amounts of weed seed, that the 
materials should be raised or purchased at a 
low price, and that the materials should be 
fit to protect the plants without smothering 
them. 
OBJECTS OF MULCHING 
By a careful study of the results of mulch- 
ing the following objects are brought forth 
as the reasons why one should mulch: 
1. Protection of plants from winter or 
early spring injury. The excessive cold on 
bare ground often results in the destruction 
of the plants. Heaving of the plants in the 
early spring by honeycomb frost is one of 
the greatest sources of unthrifty, profitless 
strawberry beds. These can both be over- 
come by mulching with the proper materials. 
