IN THE GARDEN BORDER 33 



and in doing so — unconsciously perhaps — 

 form a different mulch of cultivated soil, 

 which breaks the capillarity of the soil, and 

 prevents the sun's heat and drying winds 

 from drawing up and dissipating the soils' 

 moisture. The winter mulch while to some 

 extent rendering the same service as a sum- 

 mer mulch, has additional duties; its object 

 is not only to maintain an even underground 

 moisture and temperature but also to prevent 

 the surface soil from freezing too deeply, and 

 > — still more important — Ht must keep the 

 frozen soil from thawing during unseason- 

 ably warm winter weather and early spring 

 thaws. 



The net result of these alternations of 

 frost and thaw is "heaving," by which the 

 surface soil is lifted and broken apart. Thus 

 shallow-planted bulbs are often lifted and 

 torn from their fall made roots which are 

 anchored in the lower layers of soil. The win- 

 ter mulch then holds together the soil and its 

 contained bulbs and should not be removed 

 until settled spring weather justifies it. 



In the wild, nature provides the mulch. 

 When naturalised in grass, the leaves and 



