LECT. i ADVANTAGES OF ALLOTMENTS 19 



crops are gathered, do any material harm, but, on 

 the contrary, if dug into the ground before they 

 flower and produce seed, they may even do a measure 

 of good in decaying. The point to remember is this : 

 that all the time weeds are permitted to grow with 

 and amongst useful crops, the weeds will have their 

 share and it is often the lion's share of the food 

 which in their absence the useful crops would appro- 

 priate and be the better for. 



In the case of light, or sandy land especially, it is 

 often better to scatter seeds of a green crop on the 

 surface late in the summer and work them in with a 

 rake than to leave the land bare. In gardens turnip 

 seed is often sown, and if bulbs do not form, some of 

 the tops are cut and used in early spring and the 

 remainder dug in as green manure. On farms rape 

 and mustard are sown for this purpose. But tares or 

 vetches are far better, for they accumulate nitrogen 

 and leave the earth richer in that valuable element 

 than do either turnips, mustard, or other green 

 crops, which do not belong to the pod-bearing family. 



This is important, because nitrogen is the most 

 costly and potent element in manures, and it gives to 

 nitrate of soda its remarkable power in promoting 

 growth. This subject will be dealt with more fully 

 in Lecture IV. of the series. 



The advantages of high culture of the land are 

 shared by three sections of the community: 1. 

 Owners of the land ; 2. Tenants or cultivators ; and 

 3. Consumers. Whether the land is divided into 

 small plots or large holdings makes no difference, the 

 facts are as stated. The land which yields the most 

 enables the cultivator to obtain the greatest value 

 from it, and consequently to pay higher rents than 

 would be possible with poor or ill- managed plots or 

 fields, therefore both owners and tillers are benefited ; 



B 2 



