APPLES 



253 



not use. Whether grown alone or in com- 

 bination the greatest care should be exer- 

 cised in using just the right quantity of 

 seed. Those who have not had experi- 

 ence in sowing turnips and rape are al- 

 most sure to use too much seed. Not more 

 than one pound of turnip seed should be 

 used to the acre, except with the cow- 

 horn t.vpe. Six pounds of rape seed to 

 the acre is sutficient. 



Buckwheat 



Buckwheat, like rye, is a dependable 

 crop and is largely used by the apple 

 growers of Western New York. It has 

 a pulverizing influence upon the soil and 

 is useful in "smothering" weeds. It does 

 well on almost any kind of soil, and on 

 account of its ability to grow on very poor 

 soils is often called the "poor man's 

 crop." The "poor farmer's crop" would 

 seem to he a more suitable appellation. 

 It is not advisable to sow buckwheat in 

 an orchard until August 1st. or later. If 

 sown earlier it may mature its seed be- 

 fore frost comes and such seed will cause 

 trouble in the spring. Buckwheat con- 

 tributes to the soil very little vegetable 

 matter, for after the first frost it is diffi- 

 cult to find the remains of the crops. 



Rye 



Rye is probably the most reliable of all 

 cover crops and among those of the non- 

 leguminous class it is the most satisfac- 

 tory. The most important requirement of a 

 cover crop is that it makes a cover and 

 where other crops fail rye may usually 

 be depended upon. The greatest objection 

 to this crop is that it sometimes makes 

 such a large growth in the spring that 

 it is difficult to turn it under. This sel- 

 dom happens except with the farmer 

 who is habitually behind with his work. 



Legumes 



Canada peas, soy beans and horse beans 

 are sometimes grown as cover crops. They 

 are nitrogen-gatherers and belong to the 

 fall group. For a Connecticut condition 

 none of them is so well adapted as the 

 cow peas. 



Cow Pea 



By many orchardists the cow pea is re- 

 garded as one of the best plants for cover 

 crop purposes. Of the autumn group it 



is undoubtedly the most satisfactory. It 

 is a hot weather plant and thrives re- 

 markably well on light soils and in dry 

 seasons. This is an important point in 

 its favor, for it is a common occurrence 

 to have very dry weather about the time 

 the cover crop is expected to make its 

 growth. The seed may be sown broad- 

 cast, or it may be drilled in. The variety 

 "Whippoorwill" is probably the best for 

 cover crop purposes. A combination of 

 cow peas and clover makes an ideal cover 

 crop. The former should be sown in drills 

 about two feet apart and not later than 

 the middle of July. About the first of 

 August the clover should be sown broad- 

 cast between the rows and harrowed in. 

 This harrowing will be of great benefit to 

 the cow peas, giving them a good start. In 

 very dry seasons the sowing of the clover 

 may be deferred and cultivation may be 

 continued between the rows. If deferred 

 too long the clover is not likely to become 

 well established before winter sets in and 

 is likely to be killed before spring. Under 

 such conditions rye would probably give 

 best results. About one bushel of cow- 

 peas and 12 to 1.5 pounds of clover seed 

 will probably be about the right quantity 

 I)er acre. When frost comes the cow peas 

 will be killed, leaving the clover in pos- 

 session of the ground. 



Hairy Vetch 



Hairy or winter vetch in many sections 

 is becoming a popular cover crop for or- 

 chard purposes. It is an annual and 

 thrives well at low temperatures. It he- 

 longs to the nitrogen-gathering group and 

 owing to its prostrate habit of growth and 

 its habit of growing in late fall and early 

 spring, is well suited to cover crop pur- 

 poses. It is better adapted to heavy soil, 

 but when sufficient attention is given to 

 the preparation of the ground, will thrive 

 remarkably well on the lighter soils. The 

 harvesting of the seed is a difficult opera- 

 tion, especially in New England, and for 

 this reason the seed is usually very high 

 in price. Some orchardists have been 

 able to grow their own seed by sowing 

 rye and vetch together. The rye supports 

 the vetch, facilitating the work of har- 

 vesting. 



