318 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Pub. Doc. 



most cases the farmer has not much time that he is prepared 

 to devote to the production of a catch-crop. By this system, 

 further, the weeds are more certainly and effectually stifled 

 than in the drill system. The farmer will not, as a rule, 

 wish to cultivate a catch-crop. 



The catch-crop must be one that will grow rapidly; be- 

 cause, coming between or after main crops, the time available 

 is short. Further, the rapid growth stifles and keeps down 

 weeds, while the slow grower, without culture, is itself stifled. 



Some plants having most of the qualities above enumerated 

 are yet unfit for catch-crops because they have vigorous root 

 stocks ; others it would be unwise to select because of the 

 abundance of seed which would lie uninjured in the ground 

 over winter or for many years. 



A deep and vigorous root system enables the crop to gather 

 abundance of food even from soils not very fertile. It makes 

 a crop a good rustler, to use the expressive western term ; 

 and it is the rustler which thrives without special attention 

 to manuring and culture. These the farmer will not care to 

 give to catch-crops in the majority of instances ; hence the 

 importance of this characteristic. 



Often an important object in the introduction of catch- 

 crops is the improvement of the soil. Those crops which can 

 assimilate atmospheric nitrogen serve this purpose most 

 effectually. Other crops return to the soil only that nitrogen 

 which they first take from it ; and the soil cannot be enriched 

 in this element by their growth. True, the culture of almost 

 any crop may be made to some extent a means of soil im- 

 provement ; but only by the culture of plants belonging to 

 the clover family can the store of nitrogen in the soil be 

 increased. 



The catch-crop is in many cases highly useful as a cover in 

 winter, to protect the soil from loss of fine particles by wind 

 or from washing. For this purpose we must have crops 

 hardy in winter. It is, of course, self-evident that other 

 crops besides winter annuals often have a value as catch-crops. 



Ability to stand frosts is in a very great many cases a 

 highly important characteristic of the catch-crop. It is often 

 sown after the main crop. The time before the probable 

 coming of frosts is short. Only a crop which will continue 



