GRASSHOPPERS 91 



plants, and by keeping the weeds down it would be 

 a cleaning-crop at the same time." 



" Why do you use vetch or clover ? Could you not 

 sow oats?" 



"Yes, I could, and it would do about what vetch 

 and clover do, but oats has not the little nodules 

 on the roots which contain the little bacteria that 

 have, the power of changing the nitrogen of the air 

 so that plants can use it for food. It is this nitrogen 

 that makes up the ammonia in the fertilizer and is 

 the most expensive part. When I grow these plants 

 I need less of that kind of fertilizer and there I am 

 not only saving money, but when I plow this cover 

 crop under next spring I add a lot of nice vegetable 

 matter to the soil which decays, making plant food, 

 making the soil hold water better, and allowing the 

 air to circulate through the soil. Soils having these 

 conditions are most productive." 



"That is very interesting/' the boys remarked. 



"When I plow this fall I will also uncover the 

 grasshopper eggs that may be in that ground and they 

 will die during the winter. Of course, the greatest 

 numbers of eggs are along the edge of the garden. 

 They prefer to lay their eggs in slightly sandy soil 

 along hedges, roadways, and other places where no 

 cultivation occurs. Where your cages are placed 

 the greatest number of eggs are found, and I want to 

 work that soil to kill them. I don't know what we 

 had better do with the cages." 



