FOR JiKTTKR CROPS 37 



It is known that a specitic bacterial disease of flax ^^ets in the 

 soil and destroys the flax by the disease called flax wilt. 



Crops Believed to Leave Poison in Soil — It is believed 

 that some of these crops leave in the soil substances which are 

 toxic or poisonous to the same plants g-rown the next year, and 

 that this is one of the reasons why the yield is so low when one 

 of these crops follows itself, or even follows one of the other small 

 grains instead of following corn, grass, or clover. 



It is observed by all that these crops allow weeds to ripen and 

 the furrow slice to become full of weed seeds; especially if the 

 stubble is allowed to stand unplowed for weeks after the grain 

 has been harvested from over the weeds theretofore suppressed. 



Flax grown for seed is the worst sinner along this line, be- 

 cause its leaves do not form a dense covering, allowing the weeds 

 free growth, and because it is often so late in the ripening that 

 many weeds have an opportunity to mature before the flax is 

 harvested. 



Winter rye and winter wheat generally ripen before many of 

 the annual weeds have had time to ripen; and oats, barley, buck- 

 wheat, and millet often grow so dense and so rapidly that the 

 weeds which start to grow are smothered out. 



Grain Stubble Should be Plowed at Once —It is very im- 

 portant that grain stubble in which no grass seeds have been 

 sown, be disked, or plowed shallow at once after the grain is 

 harvested. 



This prevents most of the weeds from ripening and the land 

 can be plowed again later in the autumn, or if corn, potatoes, or 

 other cultivated crop is to be planted there, plowing may be done 

 in the spring. This plan often serves w^ell to provide for dispos- 

 ing of your barnyard manure in an effective way. 



In the south a crop of crimson clover sowed with the cereal 

 and allowed to develop among the stubble maybe plowed under 

 in the autumn or the next spring; or a crop of cowpeas may be 

 sown after the grain is harvested in June. . Wherever the grain 

 stubble can be plowed under early and a crop of peas or other 

 leguminous crop, or even corn or other plant which produces 

 much green matter can be grown and plowed under, adding 

 fresh, active, vegetable matter, humus will be added to the 

 soil. 



Feeding Legumes to Stock Best Plan — These leguminous 

 crops are valuable as green manure on account of the nitrogen 

 and the humus-making organic matter they contain. But where 

 they can be harvested, fed to live stock, and half of these sub- 

 stances can be returned to the soil as manure dropped in the 

 field or carted from the barns, that is generally the best plan. 



