90 PRODUCTIVE FARMING 



Cover Crops in Orchards. — In young orchards winter 

 rye is sown in early fall. This crop is turned under in spring 

 and soy beans or cow peas are sown in June, to be turned 

 under in time for sowing rye. These add humus and keep 

 a cover on the orchard soil; the cow peas or soy beans add 

 nitrogen, and much plant-food is unlocked by all of them for 

 the young trees to use in their growth. 



A Few Rotations. — Examples of rotations with catch 

 crops and cover crops may be of interest : 



1. Oats and common red clover may be sown in the 

 early spring. When the crop of oats is harvested the clover 

 will occupy the ground quickly. It forms a good cover on 

 the field that winter, and will produce one or two cuttings of 

 hay the next summer. The stubble may be plowed under 

 for corn the following spring. In the cornfield in July we 

 can sow a cover crop of crimson clover, winter vetch, and 

 rye for a winter cover crop. This is to be plowed under the 

 next spring as green manure. This three-year rotation is 

 thus outlined: 



Oats; Red clover; Corn with winter cover crop. 



2. Early potatoes may be followed with a winter cover 

 crop. This cover crop is plowed under in the spring and 

 early potatoes again planted. This and the next are called 

 one-year rotations. 



3. Corn is sometimes planted on a field year after year 

 if a winter cover crop is put on each time. 



4. Winter wheat is sown in September, and the crop cut 

 in July. After the stubble is plowed in, a good summer 

 catch crop of cow peas or of soy beans may be grown in six, 

 eight, or ten weeks. Then the catch crop may be harvested 

 for hay or it may be plowed under as green manure. This 

 is done in time to prepare the field for winter grain again. 



A Rotation for Dairy Farms. — ^A very good four-year rota- 

 tion followed by a number of dairymen is. about as follows; 



