. Better fruit. Fruit-culture. ipll BETTER FRUIT Page 42 food in the soil. Plants belonging to the legume family, such as clover, alfalfa, vetch, peas and beans, have the power of assimilating nitrogen from the air, and when turned under con- tribute to the supply of this valuable form of plant food. It will be observed that some of these nitrogen-gathering crops belong to the winter group and some to the fall group. Under certain conditions a non-leguminous crop may be more serviceable than a nitrogen- gathering one, and in like manner a fall cover crop may often be just as useful as a winter
. Better fruit. Fruit-culture. ipll BETTER FRUIT Page 42 food in the soil. Plants belonging to the legume family, such as clover, alfalfa, vetch, peas and beans, have the power of assimilating nitrogen from the air, and when turned under con- tribute to the supply of this valuable form of plant food. It will be observed that some of these nitrogen-gathering crops belong to the winter group and some to the fall group. Under certain conditions a non-leguminous crop may be more serviceable than a nitrogen- gathering one, and in like manner a fall cover crop may often be just as useful as a winter one. If the trees were not making sufficient growth a leguminous crop would probably be desirable, while if the trees were making suffi- cient growth and there appeared to be a lack of vegetable matter in the soil a rapid growing non-leguminous crop, such as winter rye, would be more suitable. In locations where a good covering of snow may be depended upon, and on soils that are not likely to wash, a fall cover crop, such as turnips, rape, buckwheat, cowpeas, soy beans or horse beans, would be very suitable. The three last named crops are nitrogen-gatherers, and would be more suitable than the former three if the trees were not making satisfactory growth. The clovers make good cover crops, and in this section of the country are more generally used than anything else. Some prefer the mammoth clover on account of its making a larger growth. Others prefer the common red clover, while still others pin their faith in alsike. Crimson clover is largely used, and in sections where it may be depended upon to stand the winter is undoubtedly the best of its class. It is a very rapid grower, but in most sec- tions of New England it is likely to winter-kill, and for this reason is not generally recommended. The safest plan probably is to mix together two or more kinds, always including a little crimson. Some growers prefer to mix in a little turnip seed. The turnips grow rapidly and protec
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