One Thousand Questions in California Agriculture AnsweredWickson, Edward J. (Edward James)
Science
One Thousand Questions in California Agriculture Answered
Wickson, Edward J. (Edward James)
Agriculture -- California
It is not necessary to have analysis of the soil. If you find by
experience that apricot and prune trees are doing well, it is a
demonstration of its suitability for the orange, so far as soil is
concerned. The same would also be a demonstration for soil suitability
for the lemon because the lemon is always grown on orange root. The
thing to be determined is whether the temperature conditions suit the
lemon and whether you have an irrigation supply available, because
citrus fruits, being evergreen, require about fifty per cent more
moisture than deciduous fruits, and they are not grown successfully
anywhere in this State without irrigation, except, possibly, on land
with underflow. The matter to determine then is the surety of suitable
temperatures and water supply.
For Blowing Soils.
I am going to dry-sow rye late this fall. I want some leguminous plant
to seed with the rye for a wind-break crop, not to plow under. The land
varies from heavy loam to blow-sand. I have under consideration sweet
clover, burr clover, vetches. I see occasional stray plants of sweet
clover (the white-blossomed) growing in the alfalfa on both hard and
sandy soil. I read in an Eastern bee journal that sweet clover can be
sowed on hard uncultivated land with success. Could I grow it on the
hard vacant spots that occur in the alfalfa fields?
You can sow these leguminous plants all along during the earlier part of
the rainy season (September to December) except that they will not make
a good start in cold ground which does not seem to bother rye much. But
on sand you are not likely to get cold, waterlogged soil, so you can put
in there whenever you like - the earlier the better, however, if you
have moisture enough in the soil to sustain the growth as well as start
it. We should sow rye and common vetch. Sweet clover will grow anywhere,
from a river sandbar to an uncovered upland hardpan, but it will not do
much if your vacant spots are caused by alkali.
More Than Dynamite Needed.
I have some peculiar land. People here call it cement. It does not take
irrigation water readily, and water will pass over it for a long time
and not wet down more than an inch or so. When really wet it can be
dipped up with a spoon. Hardpan is down about 24 to 36 inches. I have
tried blowing up between the vines with dynamite, and see little
difference. Can you suggest anything to loosen up the soil?
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