90 FARM SPIES 



"How soon will the eggs hatch ?" the boys 

 asked. 



"I do not believe that they will hatch before the 

 warm weather sets in next spring. They will stay 

 where they are throughout the winter. At least, I 

 hope they will/ 7 their father continued, "but I am 

 afraid your cages are in the way when I plow up the 

 garden." 



"But you will not plow the garden until spring, 

 will you?" 



" Not on the left side where the cabbage and other 

 winter vegetables are, but the side where your cages 

 are will be plowed, because we could not afford to let 

 that land lie that way all winter." 



"Why not?" the boys asked, very much worried 

 that their cages might be disturbed. 



"Because," their father explained, "part of it has 

 grown to weeds and they give shelter to insects and 

 diseases. Those weeds will die when cold weather 

 begins, and if there are no living plants on that soil 

 to take up and hold the plant-food, it will wash and 

 leach away. Part of the garden has the soil bare, 

 and this would wash during the wet weather. Now, 

 we will not allow any of those things to happen 

 because it would be very bad farm-practice. I am 

 going to plow that side and sow it to vetch or clover. 

 It would be called a cover-crop, and will prevent the 

 soil from washing. Few insects can feed on such 



