CHAPTER XII 



WINTER GREENS AS A SUBSTITUTE FOR ROOTS 



The term " winter greens " is applied in a generic 

 sense to several varieties of winter forage crops, such 

 as giant rape, hardy green turnips, rye, and various 

 kinds of kale, used either for folding off or for winter 

 soiling crops. 

 The big features about the winter green crops are : 



(1) The necessary cultivation is all done in 

 the month of June, July and early August, at a 

 time of the year when rain helps, instead of 

 hinders, in the tillage of the land. 



(2) The crops are generally broadcasted, so 

 that costly hand labour is unnecessary, and hand- 

 weeding, horse-weeding, and hoeing are 

 practically, and may, when certain Continuous 

 Cropping rotations are once properly established, 

 be, entirely dispensed with. 



(3) An acre of winter greens sown at the times 

 referred to yield as much nutriment per acre as 

 an average crop of roots sown under the ordinary 

 system, the former costing no more than one- 

 fourth as much for horse and manual labour as 

 the latter. 



(4) Again, the winter greens form the second 

 crop in the year, and, as already indicated, can 

 be so blended with the preceding crop of vetch 



