THE EARTH'S BOUNTY 



the purpose in question, are vetch, Canada 

 field peas and several others. Rye, buckwheat, 

 rape, and the like are the more common non- 

 leguminous plants used for cover crops. 



Other things being equal, the ideal time to 

 sow the cover crop is at the last cultivation of 

 the plantation for the season, allowing it to 

 remain upon the ground until the first work- 

 ing of the soil the following spring. Various 

 factors, however, will influence the details of 

 management. If, in the judgment of the 

 grower, the soil needs more nitrogen, one of 

 the leguminous crops should be sown. If only 

 the maintenance of the humus is necessary, to- 

 gether with the protection of the soil during 

 winter, then one of the non-leguminous crops 

 will serve the purpose. 



As a fundamental factor in progressive 

 orchard management, systematic tillage is a 

 practice of comparatively recent introduction. 

 While the practice has become quite general 

 during the past few years, and is growing 

 more so, the principles underlying the opera- 



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