122 THE BUSINESS OF FAEMING 



elsewhere, but these can always be supplied in 

 abundance on worn and worn-out soils by the 

 growing of such green manuring crops as rye, 

 vetch and sweet clover which are three plants that 

 will grow abundant supplies of organic matter 

 even on the poorest of soils, and when the supplies 

 of organic matter which they produce are incor- 

 porated into the soil, the clovers and other green 

 manuring crops can be freely grown. 



Eye and vetch are truly the poor man's green 

 manuring crops, because they can be planted and 

 grown between seasons, that is, after the laying 

 by of the corn, cotton or other crop, and will be 

 ready to plow into the soil in the spring at planting 

 time, thus preventing him the loss of a crop for 

 gain, for he is in that condition where he cannot 

 afford to miss for a single year the growing of a 

 crop for profit or food. 



Every tiller of the soil is a plowman and he 

 plows that he may sow and reap an abundant 

 harvest of crops, yet how few tillers of soil under- 

 stand the true art of plowing so that abundant 

 harvest of crops can be secured. The true art of 

 plowing consists simply in plowing the soil when 

 it is dry enough so that the plow in passing 

 through the soil will not press together the soil 

 grains under the plow and make a compact stratum 

 of earth below the soil turned under which pre- 

 vents the rising of moisture when needed by the 

 growing plants, and so that a deep well turned 

 seed bed can be secured. 



When the weeds, cornstalks, barnyard manure, 

 etc., are put upon the soil to remain untouched 

 during the rest seasons of the year, and those 



