138 NATURE TEACHING 



the leaves and flowers of such garden leguminous plants 

 as you have, and then dig up similar-looking plants found 

 growing wild. 



Make two or three plots in the garden, taking the 

 precautions previously described. Weed and dig the 

 plots carefully. Plant nothing at all on the first plot, 

 but keep it free from weeds ; that is, in the state known 

 as bare fallow. On the others sow some leguminous 

 crop (peas, field beans, lupines). Tend the plants care- 

 fully until they produce a good growth of foliage, and 

 cover the ground well. Then pull up the plants by the 

 roots, dig up the ground and bury the whole growth in 

 the plot in which it grew. The crop should be buried 

 whilst still green, and not allowed to remain until it 

 becomes old or woody. 



After the green dressing has been buried several 

 weeks, plant all the plots, including the one which was 

 kept bare and received no green dressing, with such a 

 crop as wheat, barley, turnip, beet or cabbage, and 

 observe the varying growth on, and the crop produced 

 from, the various plots. If a poor piece of ground is 

 chosen for this experiment the results will be the more 

 striking. 



