ENRICHING THE SOIL —FARM RESOURCES 81 



difficult to secure a "catch" of clover. lii such 

 cases, it is well to l)«'<:;in with fall -sown rye or 

 field peas. When the soil has become mellow, 

 clover may be successful. 



IK). Cover-crops are used nn^stly in fruit 

 plantations. They are sown in miilsumnier, or 

 later, after tillage is completed,— for tillage sliould 

 cease early, in onler that tlif fruit jilants will 

 not grow too heavily and too lat«'. The cover 

 is pl<>we<l under early the following spring 

 (74«). The cover checks the growth of the 

 fruit plants, i)rcvt'nts the land from washing 

 and jniddling, ln)lds the rainfall until it can 

 soak into the soil, causes the soil to dry out 

 early in spring, lessens injuiy from frost. 



117. W»'c<ls often make good cover-cro[»s. 

 The ciiicf <lif}iculty is that they cannot be 

 relied upon to ajiprar wlit'ii and wliric and in 

 the (|uantity wanted, and some kiiuls may be 

 ditVicult to era<licate (101«). 



3. Dinrt Appl'irnt'wns 



lis. The i>est direct ap])licatinn which tlie 

 farmer can make to his land, from his home 

 resources, is stal)le manure. It su])plies both 

 humus and plant -food. 



