CHAPTER VIII. 



CATCH CROPS 



things are not to be despised we cannot afford to over- 

 look them. An enterprising and energetic man may thrive 

 where a more lethargic but equally skilled man may fail, and 

 this success will probably be owing to the fact that, if he was 

 a market nurseryman, he appreciated the value of " catch " 

 or " interim " crops and exploited them to the utmost. 



Two growers were discussing the point of whether it was 

 worth while growing a catch crop of mustard and cress in a large 

 tomato house, the planting of which could not take place for 

 a month. One, by far the more experienced of the two, held 

 that " the game was not worth the candle," because it involved 

 a lot of labour and could only yield meagre returns. The other, 

 almost a novice, who was the proprietor of the house in question, 

 thought differently, and as he had something to gain and nothing 

 to lose, he had the courage of his convictions and determined 

 to act accordingly. He therefore removed a few arums and 

 chrysanthemums out of the house, dug the borders, sowed the 

 seed, and sold the crop, realising over 70 at a total cost of 20. 

 That was sufficient justification, and goes to show what an 

 enterprising man will do, that a less enterprising man would 

 leave undone. 



This matter of catch crops is, then, worth looking into. 



Having decided that, the first consideration is that the selection 

 of subjects must be subservient to the general routine and consist 

 of such crops as will not interfere with it. In the above instance 

 the course was comparatively clear. Chrysanthemums and 

 arums had followed tomatoes, both of which were apparently 

 finished. The house was empty, but catch crops are not taken 

 exclusively from empty houses, some of those permanently 

 cropped offering facilities not to be despised. 



From a purely cultural point of view we ought to discourage 

 the growing of any other crop in association with peaches or 

 vines, both of which, to reach highest excellence, should be 



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