342 SOILS 



nitrogen, not being legumes. It is commonly used 

 as a cover crop, sown in corn, after potatoes, etc., 

 from August first to November first, the seeding 

 being one and a half to three bushels. It is 

 especially valuable for building up light soils or 

 soils in such bad texture that legumes do not thrive. 

 Rye grows late and begins growth very early in 

 spring, thus using and returning to the soil much 

 nitrogen that would be leached away from bare 

 soils at this time. It makes good winter and 

 spring pasture. Wheat is sometimes used for the 

 same purpose. 



Oats and buckwheat are used when a crop is 

 needed which will be killed by winter. Buck- 

 wheat is especially valuable for very light and 

 poor soils. 



Rape is a valuable forage and green-manuring 

 crop, especially as a cover crop. Like rye, it grows 

 until the ground freezes, and begins growth again 

 very early the following spring. Winter rape, 

 however, is not hardy in the Northern States ; spring 

 rape, especially Dwarf Essex, is valued there. 



White mustard is frequently used to improve 

 light sandy soils and is especially useful as a catch 

 crop. It grows very rankly in late fall and is not 

 killed until the ground freezes. The seeding is 

 about one-third bushel per acre. It does not 

 become a weed. 



THE RENOVATION OF WORN-OUT SOILS 



How to restore productiveness to soils that have 

 lost their power to produce profitable crops, and 

 are said to be "worn-out," is one of the great farm 

 problems of to-day. There are hundreds of 

 thousands of acres of worn-out soils in the Atlantic 



