Practical Orcharding On Rough Lands, 1 71 



that it will dry out and act more as a mulch 

 than when turned down in heavy furrows. 



Mulches.— One of the objects of mulching 

 is to retain moisture so we may get the best 

 plant growth. In order to do this it is neces- 

 sary to keep the surface covered to prevent 

 evaporation. The dust mulch, which has been 

 referred to in connection with the cultivation 

 of the young trees the first season, is an ex- 

 ample of this. There are other kinds of 

 mulches that may be used to retain moisture. 

 When thinking of mulching as done by the use 

 of plants, either dead or growing, the object 

 is to keep the soil dark, cool and damp, at the 

 same time, we have in this cover, a certain 

 amount of plant food and leave it on the sur- 

 face in the form of decaymg vegetation. This 

 would bring about ideal conditions, not only for 

 the conservation of moisture, but will enable 

 the bacteria to perform their work of liberat- 

 ing plant food. We have all seen the marked 

 effect, upon the following crop, of the shading 

 of the ground by wheat shocks. How much 

 looser it is and how much quicker the next 

 crop will come up where the shocks stood, than 

 along side where the surface has been exposed 

 to the heat of the sun and action of the wind. 

 The orchardist has not failed to take notice of 



