GREEN MANURES AND COVER CROPS 



55 



clover, and it is, therefore, more highly valued by some 

 as a quick manurial crop. It should be sown at the same 

 time as red clover. 



96. Crimson clover. — As a cover crop crimson clover 

 is used to a considerable extent in the middle Atlantic 

 seaboard region. It is valued highly for its power to 

 assimilate free nitrogen. A crop cut May 22 at the Dela- 

 ware station (Delaware Station Bui. 60, p. 10) contained 

 180 pounds of nitrogen to the acre. The plant thrives 

 best in sandy soils and where the winters are not too 

 severe. It is unquestionably the most valuable manurial 

 crop in the trucking sections of New Jersey. 



The seed should be sown not later than August. July 

 is not too early for the cooler sections. A common prac- 

 tice is to sow before the last cultivation of tomatoes, 

 sweet corn and other late truck. Crops are sometimes 

 harvested and the ground "thoroughly harrowed before 

 sowing crimson clover, while plowing before harrowing 

 and sowing is often desirable. The seed soon loses its 

 vitality and, therefore, only fresh seed should be sown. 

 Not less than 15 pounds an acre should be used. The 

 Virginia Truck Experiment Station claims that not less 

 than 20 pounds an acre should be used at Norfolk. 



97. Rye, while a nonlegume, is exceedingly valuable 

 under certain conditions. It grows fairly well in any 

 soil. This cannot be said of most cover crops. Because 

 of this fact it is often possible to start with rye on very 

 poor soils and then use more desirable crops after some 

 humus has been added to the soil. Rye may be sown 

 later in the fall than any other crop, and for this reason 

 it is a valuable crop to start after the removal of late 

 vegetables, when it would be useless to sow any of the 

 legumes. It thrives throughout the North and is widely 

 regarded as the best general purpose cover crop for cold 

 sections. To secure a good stand not less than three 

 bushels of seed should be used to the acre. 



