Rensselaer Union, Volume 7, Number 35, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 20 May 1875 — Mulching. [ARTICLE]

Mulching.

The light and sandy character of many soils ana the dryness of the atmosphere explain the importance of mulching in summer. Downing says mulching is nothing more than simply covering the ground about the stems with coarse straw or litter from the barnyard, which, by preventing evaporation, keeps the soil from becoming dry, and maintains it in that moist and equable condition of temperature most favorable to the growth of young roots. This shows the benefit of summer-mulching; but many claim to derive great benefit from mulching in wiDter also, applying? the mulch even after the ground has frozen. What purpose can this mulch serve but to protect the roots? This, you perceive, brings up the question as to which is killed by our winters, top or roots. Without going into the merits of this question I will simply avow the belief tnat winter-mulching often saves the life of the tree. Freezing of the roots may not do any material injury, but sudden changes of temperature, especially sudden thawings, unquestionably do injure the tree, and cold snaps after the tree has started into growth are still more disastrous. Again, as has been recently stated by a member of the society, the tree keeps up a certain amount of activity to which moisture is an essential condition throughout the winter. Dry winds evaporate this moisture, and the tree must have some means of replenishing th§ supply. These are

mostly taken away when all of its roots are enveloped in a mass of frozen; soil. Dry, porous soils freeze deeper and tffaw out quicker than moist ones. They do this because of the comparative absence Qtf water in them, which is a poor conductor of heat, and therefore serves to render temperature equable. Thus, concerning mulching, science explains and enforces what practice has shown to be good. But mulching is not equally valuable on all soils, and some attach little importance to it. Clay soils need it far less than sandy soils. They are mpre retentive of moisture, and hence do not dry out so easily in summer, freeze so deeply in winter, nor thaw out so suddenly in spring. Again, thorough cultivation may m part take the place of mulching, since it iavors the absorption and retention of moisture in the soil. To sum up this matter, mulching preserves the moisture of the soil in summer, lessens the depth of frost in winter and renders changes of temperature in the soil less sudden. It is most beneficial on sandy soils and less, so on loams and clays. It is not so necessary if thorough cultivation be given — Prof. Ixicey, before Minn. Horticultural Society.