PLOUGHING tS GBEEN Ci^OPS. 93 



membered in bringing up land by green crops, that 

 they really add no inorganic matter to the soil; they 

 only bring it up from the subsoil, and render insoluble 

 combinations near the surface soluble. The inorganic 

 part of the soil, therefore, is actually diminishing by 

 the occasional crops which are taken; and while im- 

 proving by these means, care should for this reason be 

 taken to add occasionally some form of mineral manure. 



The practice of turning the turf upon one edge when 

 ploi: ' seems to be gaining ground: it is said by 



its . that the turf rots more surely and speedi- 



ly. 1 host; who contend for laying it flat, say that the 

 -weeds are thereby more effectually killed, and that the 

 fields may be made smoother. Potato tops, turnip and 

 beet tops, green weeds, leaves, and ever) form of green 

 Tegetable matter, may be advantageously ploughed in 

 at once, or carted to the compost heap. Nothing of 

 the kind should be neglected. 



Straw is not usually applied to the land until it has 

 been worked over by animals, and mixed with their 

 manure: in this form we shall refer to it again. When 

 applie<l alone, it is usually l)est and most convenient 

 to rot it down in a comjKxst heap, as the long straw is 

 only ploughed under with difficulty. On stiff" clay 

 soiu it is, however, very beneficial to bur)' long straw, 

 as then it 8er\es to loosen and mellow the clay, both 

 by lying amoncr and separating the lumps, and by its 

 gradual fern i and decay. It has been found 



good practi. ay parts of the ronntry, to draw 



out straw iu the autiunn, and lay a ' it 



over winter grain. This serves as ;i , ^ 



winter, and retains moisture when necessary during a 

 -irv ^.>r;.,.r ,>r * -jfly summer. By the time that the 

 ;it>d, it has decayed so as to turn under 

 «aMiy, anti lonns quite a rich coating in the way of 

 manure. 



In the neighborhood of the sea, where beaweed eui 



