Fertilizers 



51 



system will give an ideal garden soil, especially 

 where it is necessary to rely for the most part upon 

 chemical fertilizers. 



There are, however, four crops valuable for green- 

 manuring the garden, even where the same spot 

 must be occupied year after year: rye, field com, 

 field peas (or cow peas in the south) and crimson 

 clover. After the first of September, sow every 

 foot of garden ground cleared of its last crop, with 

 winter rye. Sow all ground cleared during August 

 with crimson clover and buckwheat, and mulch the 

 clover with rough manure after the buckwheat dies 

 down. Sow field peas or corn on any spots that 

 would otherwise remain unoccupied six weeks or 

 more. All these are sown broadcast, on a freshly 

 raked surface. Such a system will save a very large 

 amount of plant food which otherwise would be 

 lost, will convert unavailable plant food into availa- 

 ble forms while you wait for the next crop, and add 

 humus to the soil — concerning the importance of 

 which see Chapter VII., page 67. 



CHEMICAL FERTILIZERS 



I am half tempted to omit entirely any discussion 

 of chemical fertilizers: to give a list of them, tell 

 how to apply them, and let the why and wherefore 

 go. It is, however, such an important subject, and 

 the home gardener will so frequently have to rely 



