R. M. Keflogg's Great Crops of 
iai feisty-. >ll--^ljgfc->::-M^'-<-j»*--^^-''->^ 
THE WINTER PROTECTION 
Never buy plants of any nurseryman who does not mulch his beds ana guarantee that the roots have 
not been broken or weakened bv freezing and thawing during the winter. So important a matter would be 
mentioned in his catalog. It makes a great difference to you when many plants fail and leave long vacan- 
cies in the field. We grow a large acreage of thickly sowed corn especially for mulch. Every leaf and root 
comes out perfect in the spring and sure to grow. 
Understand, the lime is nsed to neutralize the 
acid in the copper and if you use poor stuff or 
not enough it will burn the foliage. If you 
are not sure about the lime, use more of it. 
Pottasium sulphide (liver of sulphur) is the 
best for mildew. In cold wet seasons the 
leaves curl up and on examination under 
glass show "spider webs" on the leaves. This 
is mildew. Use one-half oz. to the gal. of wa- 
ter. It is even better for this purpose than 
Bordeaux mixture. 
WINTER PROTECTION. 
It is not freezing that injures the plants, but 
when it freezes every night and a bright sun 
shines the next day it thaws and then the 
ground contracts and pulls the plants up, often 
straining or breaking the roots. If they are 
shaded with a light covering they will not thaw 
out on these bright days, but remain frozen 
solid and when a long warm spell does come 
the frost dissolves on the under side of the fro- 
zen part first so plants cannot be injured at all. 
Any old straw or corn stover will do. Swale 
hay is very fine. Stable manure will do be- 
tween the rows. It sometimes starts a weed 
growth, but they are easily disposed of. It 
must never be put on until after the ground 
freezes hard enough to enable a team to walk 
over it or so wheels will not break through. 
If put on early and a warm spell follows it 
would make the plants bleach and tender. 
Slight freezing when the earth is not frozen 
deep will do no harm as the foliage prevents it 
from thawing fast. 
Always mulch your propagating bed. Put it 
on thin early and when the ground is frozen 
deep put on more so the ground will not thaw- 
out early and keep the plants cold and dormant 
until you can have time to fit your ground. 
The roots callous during the winter and get 
ready to send out new roots when it comes 
warm and so a dormant plant will start ofif vig- 
orously. 
Never risk your money on any plant grower 
who does not mulch his plants. This matter is 
so important that he would not fail to call at- 
tention to it in his catalog if he did so. If he is 
one of those "cheap Johns" selling plants as 
low as $1.25 to $2.50 per M depend upon it 
they are not mulched, because he cannot af- 
ford to do it, and an investigation will show 
that there is no one offering plants at these 
prices who mulches his plants during winter. 
Plants may live and bear fruit fairly well, if 
not disturbed on sandy soil when not mulched, 
because new roots will start from the crown, 
but when it freezes and thaws it will break the 
roots and then when taken up they will fail 
and leave long vacant spaces in your field for 
you to cultivate for nothing whicli takes the 
"cheapness' out of the "cheap John" plants. 
"Plants that grow" are plants that have been 
mulched and the same thing holds good when 
a nurseryman wants you to "save money" on 
plants. See that stock ordered has been prop- 
erly developed, sprayed and mulched. 
For the home garden use any old papers, 
carpets, leaves, or anything that will shade 
them, but not shut out the air entirely. 
SELLING BERRIES. 
Ever keep in mind that strawberries are the 
most delicious fruit God ever created for the 
enjoyment of man and that when rightfully 
managed every man, woman ■ and child will 
have them throughout the whole season and 
35 
