leaves. Buckwheat is a goou co.er 
crop but it should not be allowed to 
grow long enough to ripen as it will 
be troublesome as a weed. Oats are 
also very good particularly for late 
planting as they will grow even 
after light frosts and die before 
spring. They do not reseed the next 
year like buckwheat. Wheat and 
rye are used much as cover crops, 
but we do not like them for the rea- 
son that they live over winter and 
are hard to dispose of in the spring. 
A cover that does not live over win- 
ter is best for the garden. 
Humus, Organic Matter 
Life Only from Death 
,  Humus, decaying vegetable or 
animal matter, is absolutely essen- 
tial for plant growth. Soil that con- 
tains no humus will not produce a 
crop. But humus should be kept 
largely on top of the soil or mixed 
with the first three or four inches, 
but never turned under. When 
turned under, where the air is 
largely excluded, it ferments and 
969 
