CHAPTER VI 



ALL ABOUT "WINTER GREENS"— CONSERVATION 

 OF SOIL MOISTURE 



As already indicated, "winter greens" follow the 

 second tare crop. The term "winter greens " is used 

 in a general sense, to indicate any kind of green 

 crops — e.g. thousand-headed kale, marrow-stem kale, 

 Labrador kale, giant rape, hardy green turnips, etc., 

 for use during the winter months. 



A great thing to be remembered in the growing 

 of winter greens, especially in a dry summer, is the 

 conservation of soil moisture. Reference has already 

 been made to the necessity for quick cultivation to 

 attain this object. As well as being quick, the tillage 

 should be thorough, as the finer the particles of soil 

 the more moisture the land will retain, and the more it 

 is able to draw from the sub-soil by capillary attraction. 



Again, close packing of the soil by heavy rolling 

 assists capillary action, but it should be borne in mind 

 that moisture dries off a perfectly smooth surface much 

 more quickly than it does from a rough one. 



A practical demonstration of this may be made by 

 pouring equal quantities of water on two boards, one 

 smooth-planed and the other left rough-sawn. It will 

 be observed that the surface of the latter is damp long 

 after that of the former is perfectly dry. Therefore, 

 after roUing, especially in districts of low rainfall or 

 light soils, the top surface of the land should be 



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