MULCHING. 



105 



To large established trees as before described, 

 the mulch is applied at the end of November, 

 and removed in May. 



The practice here recommended is proper 

 to be adopted to fruit trees that are planted 

 in borders as directed by me; (see formation 

 of fruit tree borders) but where the trees are 

 very differently situated, such as being plant- 

 ed in a wet soil, unless the borders are of a 

 very good slope they should not be mulched 

 during winter, for the mulching of level 

 borders, which are of a wet nature, in win- 

 ter, is injurious to the trees, because the 

 mulch has a tendency to retain moisture, 

 which when too great, rots the tender fibres 

 and causes a diseased tree. But as borders 

 of this description are very liable to crack 

 during hot dry summers, it is advantageous 

 in such seasons to have recourse to the prac- 

 tice of mulching; which prevents the soil 

 from cracking, and the roots thereby escape 

 the damage which they would otherwise sus- 

 tain. For when the soil cracks considerably, 

 many of the roots are generally broken by 

 it, or stretched to such a degree as to be 

 very injurious to them. I have seen many 

 trees that have very materially suffered in 

 the manner described; the effects of which 

 soon became apparent in the upper part of 

 the tree, by its being weakly and diseased; 

 particularly in trees of the stone fruit kind. 



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