THE ORCHARD.
Chip dirt, drift hay, and all refuse matter that can be collected about a farm, if not used in the compost heap, makes an excellent mulch for orchards. Mulching, says a writer, has all the benefits of ploughing with none of its disadvantages, keeping the surface mellow with no damage to the roots by the plough, or to the trunk or branches by the team. It keeps down the grass and invites the earth-worm to work and make the soil fine and rich. It tends to retain the moisture for a much longer time, and remedy in a great measure the evil effects of drought. The fruit which falls upon it is nob bruised. As a matter of neatness it is necessary to gather these from the paths, and it is well to collect from the roadsides and elsewhere all that are at hand. They make the best protection for tender plants, and, after using as an absorbent in the stable, a valuable addition to the manure heap.
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Bibliographic details
Patea Mail, 21 April 1881, Page 4
Word Count
170THE ORCHARD. Patea Mail, 21 April 1881, Page 4
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