The herald., 1897-02-06
HILL ORANGE ORCHARDS

(The following article was written for
the Redlands Citrograph by Prof. ]. l..
Budd, who has occupied the chair Of
Horticulture and Forestry In the Iowa
Agricultural college for many years)
The growing of the citrus fruits on hill
and slope lands considerably elevated
above an adjacent valley has special ad-
vantages and one serious drawback
Among the advantages are Q) the 'air
drainage" giving greater security
against frosts, fogs, mildews, scale, ETC.;
(2) proximity TO the foothills gives usual
ly porosity Of soil and subsoil favorable
for the most perfect development of tree
and fruit.
The main disadvantage is with clean
culture the loss of fertilizers, and the
fine IT and best particles Of soil, by winter
rains.
Hon. G. p. Marsh in his admirable and
beautiful work Earth as Modified by
Human Action" tells graphically tho
story of utter desolation wrought in
South France on the hill lands covered
with citrus fruits by continued clean
culture, and in our country the hills Of
Georgia, Alabama. Tennessee and even
New England, already have their aban-
doned hill YARNS, once the model places
of their vicinity.
The orange growers OF the Redlands
valley, espe cially on the hills and steep
er slopes of the upper part of the valley
and near the foothills, should at once
change the clean culture system and the
use of commercial fertilizers to the more
modern plan of the older citrus fruit
growing parts of the Union and of South
Europe, viz: Clean culture in summer
and the covering of the surface during
the rainy season of winter with a dense
growth of COW peas or Canadian peas
On the gentler slopes this will stop the
destructive wash of soil and fertilizers,
and it will put into the soil, when plowed
under late in spring, supply of humus
and nitric acid that will improve vastly
the mechanical condition of the soil and
give the dark green leaves and dark,
heavy and juicy fruit seen this winter
in the orchard of Mr.. I. Ford on Cypress
avenue
The experience In Florida and South
France for q number of years has shown
that the chemical action of the pea and
some other legumes, not only gives hu-
mus and needed nitrogen, but makes the
potash and some other essentials avail
able for plant use. 1t Is now Demon
strated that the Canadian field pea is
a success here, but at the recent in
stitute 1t was stated that the COW pea
had proved failure. This statement
must not as yet be accepted, as the
COW pea family Is exceedingly variable
in climatic adaptation. In my opinion
any Oh the VdTletleS OIL strong growing
COW peas grown in Georgia, Alabama
and Florida will thrive here more per-
fectly than the common field peas of
Canada and Western Europe. But until
this is fully demonstrated it Is well to
use the pea known to succeed perfectly.
But when introduced the cow pea will
give a denser growth that wilbmore per-
fectly stop washing and will also give
more humus and nitrogen to the soil.
On the sleeper hills and slopes, in
addition to the pea crop of winter, the
zone" principle of planting and cufti-
waiting peculiar to France and Spain
and all hill sections o1 Europe should
be at once adopted. This consists SIM
ply in running the rows at right angles
with the slope, which Of course on cir
cular hills would form zones GROUND
the hill. The plowing is done in the
same direction, and is so managed as
to throw up small ridge along the
line of the rows. On soil as friable as
the Redlands hills the low ridge be-
tween the trees is planted with guava,
jujube, gooseberry, filbert, or any USE
full ligneous plant of low growth, to
strengthen the bank by their roots.
This plan, with winter growth Of peas,
will stop all washing on steep slopes.
will hold the water best in summer irri-
CATION and in all respects win prove
more satisfactory that terracing.
On the still higher elevations in the
mountains. in growing the apple, pear,
cherry. plum, apricot, nuts, ETC., the
use of the COW pea in winter will prove
great gain. If not plowed, under until
the fruit sets it will be found that the
blossoms will come out later and more
even and the fresh humus turned under
will aid in holding moisture during the
summer.