No. 4.] CATCH-CROPS. 317 



to koep the weeds down by occasionally working the soil, he 

 gives his idle field what is known as a bare fallow ; and it 

 must be admitted that bare fallows were onco recommended 

 by the best farmers of their time. They arc not advised by 

 the progressive farmers of to-day ; for it is known, largely 

 as a result of the work of Lawes and Gilbert, that the in- 

 creased productiveness which often follows a bare fallow is 

 obtained at too heavy a cost. The items are : first, the loss 

 of time ; second, the labor of keeping the land clean ; and 

 third, the sacrifice to old ocean, to which it is carried by the 

 leaching rainwater, of a considerable share of the elements of 

 fertility which nature renders soluble in the idle field. This 

 sacrifice can be avoided if the soil be kept occupied with the 

 hungry rootlets of a growing crop, for they will arrest the 

 soluble elements in their downward course, and in the grow- 

 ing plant they will be converted into compounds of use and 

 value. 



He who chooses to leave his field idle, but prevents pro- 

 duction of weed seeds by cutting, does far better than he 

 whose field is the victim of pure neglect ; but yet his labor is 

 not direct^' productive. Even he is made poor. The rule 

 of every good farmer should be " keep the land covered with 

 a growing crop at all times when season permits." As soon 

 as one crop is removed another should follow. 



The Selection of Catch-crops. 



The catch-crop, in so far as may be possible, should com- 

 bine the following characteristics : cheap seed, ability to 

 thrive when sown broadcast, rapid growth, freedom from 

 qualities, either of root or seed, which will cause it to become 

 a troublesome weed, a deep, vigorous root system, the ability 

 to take a part of its nitrogen from the air, hardiness in winter 

 (in the case of some), ability to stand frosts and to grow at 

 a low temperature, and value, either as a fodder or for soil 

 improvement. 



The importance of these characteristics is in most cases 

 perhaps evident ; but concerning some of these points a few 

 words in explanation seem desirable. 



The ability to thrive when sown broadcast is highly impor- 

 tant, since this is the quickest method of planting, and in 



