84 AGRICULTUKAL EXPLOEATIONS IN ALGERIA. 



in April or early in Ma}^, when the vetch is in blossom and the cereal 

 in milk. It is ordinarily fed green, although this can be done with 

 perfect safety only after allowing it to wilt for a few hours. The 

 mixed hay furnished by vetch with barley or oats is far superior to 

 that of the natural meadows. In seasons when the rainfall has been 

 plentiful, yields amounting to 1^ or 2 tons per acre are obtained. 

 The largest 3nelds are given by land that has previously been maiuired 

 at the rate of about 1,000 cubic feet of farm manure to the acre. In 

 very wet springs hay of this kind is difficult to cure, the vetch having 

 a tendency to rot and drop its leaves. This crop leaves the land in 

 excellent shape to be put into grain the following winter. 



The botanical service of the Algerian government lias been experi- 

 menting for several years with a variety of leguminous plants that 

 promise to be more or less useful as forage and green manure crops. 

 For the latter purpose, especially in vineyards, lupines, horse beans, 

 fenugreek, vetches, peas, and lentils are recommended. 



TKEE CROPS AS FORAGE. 



In the coast region, especially in the mountain zone, a number of 

 trees contribute to the supply of forage. The Kabyles, having little 

 room for field crops, feed the leaves of various trees to their animals. 

 The leafy twigs of the olive, removed in pruning, and the leaves of 

 the elm are thus utilized. Dried tig leaves serve in winter as a sub- 4 

 stitute for hay. In the handsome ash of his mountains the Kabyle 

 has a veritable overhead meadow, which yields him a constant supply m 

 of green forage. The most important of arboreal forage plants is, " 

 however, the carob. 



Caroh, or St. John's hread. — The pods of this small tree, which 

 resemble those of the American honey locust in having their seeds 

 surrounded by a sweetish pulp, arc highly esteemed throughout the 

 Mediterranean region as food for cattle. There are also improved 

 varieties, which are used in some countries as human food. The 

 carob flourishes throughout the coast region of Algeria. European 

 colonists have not given it nuich attention, but, especially in moun- 

 tainous districts, it is much valued by the natives, who not only plant 

 orchards of carobs, but, with a little care, succeed in obtaining good 

 yields from wild trees. From Bougie, the seaport of Kabylia, consid- 

 erable quantities of the pods are exported to Europe. 



The best results are obtained by top-grafting scions of improved 

 races upon seedling trees. The pollen is borne upon separate indi- 

 viduals, so that care must be taken to have male trees in every plan- 

 tation. The largest yields are obtained by following the Spanish 

 practice of grafting a branch from a male tree upon the base of the 

 trunk of a fruiting individual. The establishment of a plantation of 

 carobs is therefore a somewhat troublesome undertaking. After six 



