Just look how the weeds grow too! 
Keeping the Soil Cool 
Many crops like potatoes and 
tomatoes may be grown to perfec- 
tion without tilling if the ground is 
kept covered with organic matter. 
Much time can be saved in this way 
as no work is needed after the plants 
are set. It is a common practice to 
put straw around strawberries to 
keep them clean, but this is not the 
main advantage of the straw. Straw- 
berries are a cool weather crop, and 
the organic material spread on the | 
surface keeps the soil several de- 
grees cooler. For this reason the 
mulch should not be placed on the 
ground in early spring if an early 
crop is desired. Wait until the 
ground is fairly warm, just before 
blossoming time as plants should 
not be disturbed during blossoming 
season. 
In the summer when the ground © 
is likely to become too hot a cover- - 
ing of any kind of material is a 
wonderful help. Burning leaves and — 
grass about the AL and garden is 
