Cultivation. 385 



CATCH CHOPS. 



A good fuccession of catch crops to sow between the regular crops 

 is as essential to good fanning as the selection of the main crops. It is 

 often the neglect of these that makes farming so hapzard and uncertain. 

 On old lands tlie catch crops are particularly important in keeping up the 

 fertility r.f the :-oil to a proper standard. There are plenty of farmers 

 who rarely give much attention to catch crops, but it is due to careless- 

 ness ifiore tliau to any well cons'dered conclusion drawn from experience. 



The more catch crops that we can sandwich in between the regular 

 crops in the course of the summer, the better will the condition of the 

 soil be another season. These crops add to the soil the green fertilizing 

 material that most lands need, and the more exhausting a crop is to the 

 soil the more essential is it that the green plants should be plowed under 

 every season. By paying proper attention to the catch crops we reduce 

 our manure bill, and save work at other seasons of the year. It is really 

 like killing two birds with one stone. 



T'he leguminous crops are the best for catch crops on most soils, es- 

 pecially where clover will not make a good stand. Beginning early in 

 the season, that is about the middle of May, when the corn is planted, 

 the soja beans make an excellent catch crop. Eitlier the dwarf or 

 medium variety will do for this purpose. They should be sown first of 

 all the catch crops, because they will thrive when the ground is too cold 

 and wet for most of our other catch crops. Cow peas are excellent for 

 sowing the latter part of May when the ground is warm. At this season 

 of the year, and when used for a catch crop, the cow peas are useful not 

 only in the south but in the northern states. 



Canada field peas or crimson clover should be used for a catch crop 

 during July and August. Both plants furnish plenty of green for the 

 soil. In Canada rape is often sown in preference to either, and if the 

 weather is good a large crop of green food will be supplied for fall use. 

 Buckwheat is another good July catch crop that can be used on some soils 

 to great advantage. Rye is the best late fall crop, and it can be sown any 

 time from September to October. By preparing the ground in time for 



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