. Fruits, vegetables and flowers, a non-technical manual for their culture. ning of the term nnilching as hereused. Mulching serves different purixises, dei)ending upi>n the h»cality SMALL FRUITS 85 in which the plants are grown. A mulch acts as a protection from cold,prevents freezing and thawing and the consequent lifting of the plants(heaving out); it retards growth in cold regions by shading the crownsand maintaining a low soil temperature longer than in soil not mulched;it acts as a conserver of moisture, discourages weed growth by smotheringthe young seedling, and finally protects the
. Fruits, vegetables and flowers, a non-technical manual for their culture. ning of the term nnilching as hereused. Mulching serves different purixises, dei)ending upi>n the h»cality SMALL FRUITS 85 in which the plants are grown. A mulch acts as a protection from cold,prevents freezing and thawing and the consequent lifting of the plants(heaving out); it retards growth in cold regions by shading the crownsand maintaining a low soil temperature longer than in soil not mulched;it acts as a conserver of moisture, discourages weed growth by smotheringthe young seedling, and finally protects the fruit from contact with the soil. Materials for Mulch.—Whole or cut straw free from grains, strawymanure from the horse stable, and pine straw from the forest are amongthe more common mulching materials. In certain sections marsh hay,either from fresh or salt water marshes, is a common and very satisfactorymulching material. When to Apply the Mulch.—At the North where the soil is likely tofreeze and thaw several times in the course of the winter, it is the practice. American Quart Boxes of Well-Graded Strawberries.*Fancy on the right, No. 1 on the left. to put on the mulch as soon as the ground is sufficiently frozen to allowdriving upon it with a loaded cart or wagon. Where the freezing of the soilis only superficial or only temporary, if at all, the mulch serves the purposeof a protection from wind more than from frost, and in such sections themulch is put on as soon as active growth ceases, usually early in December-and is allowed to remain until after the crop is harvested. Harvesting and Shipping.—The time of gathering the fruit, as wellas the manner of handling, is governed by the use to which it is to be intended for a local market, much riper fruits can be handled than whenthey are to be shipped long distances. The most progressive growers of strawberries for local markets notonly give particular attention to the ripeness of the fruit, but to assorting 1
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1910, booksubjectvegetablegardeningfr
