20 



OECHARD GREEN-MANURE CROPS IN CALIFORNIA, 



On account of the light growth usually made by a green-manure 

 crop sown in the fall without irrigation, the expense of seeding a 

 crop each year in this way is hardly justified. Through the use of 

 bur clover this objection can be overcome by allowing the crop to 

 reseed itself from year to year. Tn this way with a little care bur 

 clover can be maintained in an orchard at small expense. If an 

 occasional late season prevents the crop from ripening its seed before 

 the orchard must be plowed, narrow strips can be left between the 



rows to mature, and 

 in this way reseed- 

 ing be accomplished. 

 The fact that the 

 seeds of bur clover do- 

 not all germmate the 

 first 3"ear but hold 

 over in the soil imtil 

 the second or third 

 year, or even longer, 

 lends to the ease 

 of maintaining the 

 stand. 



Bur clover is at 

 present most com- 

 monh" introduced 

 and maintained in 

 orchards by the use 

 of manure from old 

 sheep corrals, which 

 usually contains 1 arge 

 quantities of the seed. 



FENUGREEK. 



Fenugreek ( Trigo- 

 nellafoenum-graecum) 

 is an upright-growing 



Fig. 5.— An indi\'ichial plant of fonugreek, showing Us characteristics. -, ., . ,i„„l 



plant havmg a central 

 stem which is more or less })ranched. A somewhat open top is formed 

 when fenugreek is grown as an indivitlual j^Umt (see fig. 5). When 

 grown in plats with little chance for individual development, but 

 few branches are formed. The plants attain a height of 20 to 30 

 inches. The leaves, of which there is a medium number, are trifoliate, 

 with cuneate or obovate thickish leaflets. The seeds, wdiich are borne 

 in long, pointed pods, are quite small (one or two lines long) and of 

 a brownish-yellow color. The pods dehisce, or break open, tardily, 

 making the crop one that can be handled easily for seed. 



190 



