18 



ORCHARD GREEN-MANURE CROPS iN CALIFORNIA. 



plants approacli maturity the lower portions of the stems become 

 dry and wiry, making the turning under difficult. 



Apliids, or plant lice, are very fond of peas and nearly ever}-^ year 

 their attacks occasion considerable damage. In the coast sections or 

 those having more humid conditions, the crops also suffer severely 

 from the attacks of mildew. Inland, however, there has been but 

 little injury from this cause. 



Wliile field peas are in some ways objectionable they also have 

 certain qualities that make them serve special purposes. Their 

 ability to stand late fall planting and still produce a fair winter 

 growth makes them especially valuable for such use when for any 



Fig. 4.— View in an orange orchard in southern California, showing Canada field peas grown as a green- 

 manure crop. 



reason an earlier planting of other crops has not been accomplished, 

 but if sown late only a very ordinary crop can be expected. While 

 peas may be planted from the middle of September to the end of 

 November, in southern California the best results are secured from 

 September plantings. In the northern part of the State the middle 

 of October is better for planting because the winter rains prevent the 

 crop from being turned under until later in the winter. AVlien planted 

 early, peas in the north are also likely to suffer more severely from 

 winter frosts. 



Seventy pounds of seed per acre is the usual rate of seeding. 

 This in some cases gives a very gootl crop but a thin stand, and 

 therefore a light yield has been very noticeable in all orchard 



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