FOLLOW-UP PLANTING 



When you are making your plan next winter you 

 will be able to shift your crops around and so keep 

 the soil in good condition. 



Peas and beans are soil builders because they 

 have the power of taking nitrogen out of the air 

 and storing it in their roots. If you can dig up a 

 pea vine or bean plant when it is quite large you 

 will see little lumps on the roots. If you did not 

 know you might think these were signs of a disease. 

 They are really storehouses called "nodules." Peas 

 and beans seem to take a good deal out of the soil 

 too in the way of plant food, but when the roots 

 begin to decay, after the plant has lived its life, 

 they give this nitrogen to the soil, making it richer 

 than it was before. So save every bit of pea and 

 bean vines for your compost heap. 



Later on I am going to tell you more about crops 

 which enrich the soil so our gardens will grow bet- 

 ter and better each year. 



