The herald., 1897-09-30
(Edited by Prof. A. J. Cook.)
Green Manurine

Mr.. E. w. Holmes of Riverside writes
desiring to know II crimson clover will
answer for US in Southern California as
= plant to grow in the winter season
In our orchards for the purposes OF green
manuring. He remarks upon its high
favor in the east. and asks If it has equai
merits here. This subject Of green
manuring is certainly one that should re-
ceive earnest attention from our or
chardists. We need humus in the soil.
and the readdest way to get it is to grow
and plow under a green crop. But here
We can kill second bird with the self
same stone. However authorities may
differ regarding the need of potash in
our soils. no one doubts but that We do
need and must have combined nitrogen
This costs high in the market, and it is
more than wise to secure 1t in cheaper
ways, which, happily. we are able to do.
We now know assuredly that when we
gov legume like peas, beans clover,
IL pine, etc., We are reaching into the
atmosphere and taking the precious nj
trogen and combining it so that our
plants can get the combined nitrogen
The orchardists who can secure good
vigorous crop of any legume and get it
under the ground during the rains of
winter is practicing very wise economy
He is enriching his soil at least expense
The question then Is: What shall the
legume be? Crimson clover, so much rec
commended east, is not the plant In the
east 1t is grown in warm weather, and
does admirably. Here 1t is grown in the
cool winter time, and grows very re-
luctantly and feebly. We have tried It
here at Claremont repeatedly, and with
no success. 1t has also been tried else
where with the same results. We may
answer Mr.. Holmes then assuredly.
Crimson clover Is of no use for us. The
same may be said of the COW pea, so
much praised in the east. This Is no
pea at all, but bean, and so s,uccumbs
to q slight frost. This is fatal objec-
lection to its use here in California.
There are three plants that do we'll and
are worthy of general trial and use. The
Canadian field, pea, the vigorous wild
lupines and the burr clover. All of them
have been tried and, seem to meet every
requirement. The requisites for such
plant are quick growth, ability to stand
slight frosts and, of course, it must be a
legume, or belong to the bean family
of plants The quick growth is neces-
sary, for 1t must mature or be able to
produce a large amount of vegetation
from the time of the first rains, when It
Is planted. up to Feb. 1st- when it must
be plowed under. 1t must not be per-
mitted to take the soil moisture later
than that, and there must be sufficient.
moisture in the earth to produce fer
mentation and decay. Our slight frosts.
that are liable to come in January, must
not destroy our plant, hence the neces-
sity that it shall be frost proof. Again,
our plant must be one that enters into
partnership with the microbes in the
important work. of nutrification of the
soil. So we must perforce use a legume,
as no other plants invite the microbes
No other plants show the root nodules
that make 1t sure that the free nitrogen
of the air is being combined into form
useful to the plant. The three plans
named above all seem to be able to fill
all these requirements. They have all
been tried at Claremont, at Rediands In
Orange county and in other localities,
and all promise we'll The crop must be
sown as soon as the rains come. 1t must
be plowed under as soon as Feb. list, after
which the cultivation should, be so
thorough that no green thing will be
seen. This saves all the moisture for the
trees. and keeps the ground mulched
with fine earth dressing that conserves
the moisture to the fullest extent OIL
course, when one has plenty of water
for irrigation, the crop can be sown
earlier than the rainy season, but this
adds to the expense, and is to be avoided
II possible.
There are some other plants that arc
much praised for the purpose of green
manuring, but we know little of them
as yet, and will withhold even the names
until they are more fully tested