THE MONTHLY BULLETIN. 401 



The average annual rainfall in tliis i-cgion is about fifty inches, the 

 heaviest rainfall occurring during their winter season, although more 

 or less rain falls during every month of the year. The maximum 

 temperature is about 105 degrees F. and the minimum 68 degrees F., 

 no frost ever having been reported at any time. Wet and dry series of 

 years have occurred in this region according to the older inhabitants. 

 The wet years, we were told, were coincident with the most productive 

 orange seasons. Occa.sional floods have been experienced, causing much 

 damage to the orange orchards, due to soil erosions. 



We found a total of about 76,000 navel orange trees at Bahia of 

 which about one-third are in full bearing, one-third just beginning to 

 bear fruits, and one-third recently set out. As the trees are planted 

 at the average rate of about 100 to the acre, there are about 760 acres 

 of navel oranges all told. The city and state of Bahia are encouraging 

 the planting of navel orange trees so there is likely to be a considerable 

 increase in the area devoted to orange culture during the near future. 

 A municipal farm is maintained for supplying trees to planters and for 

 the purpose of furnishing field demon-strations and information, and 

 expert advice by the director for prospective growers. 



]\[ost of the orange groves are more or less interplanted with other 

 fruit trees, as for instance mangos in the highest lands, avocados on the 

 lower levels, and with cocoanuts, coffee, caju, sapodillas, jack fruits, 

 mangibera, papaya, banana and other tropical fruits. Many of the 

 orchards are fenced with the pitanga, the fruits of which are highly 

 prized and the leaves and branches most extensively used for decorative 

 purposes. Usually a few lime, lemon and sour orange trees are found 

 in every orchard. 



The individual orange plantations vary in number of orange trees 

 from a few to more than twelve thousand. The plantation buildings 

 are usually built of adobe bricks covered with plaster, have red tile 

 roofs and cement or wooden floors. Freciuently the dooryards are filled 

 with tropical flowers and plants. In some cases wonderful orchid collec- 

 tions are maintained by some of the orange growers. Usually every 

 planter has a grape arbor. As a whole the orange growers' homes and 

 surroundings showed the most signs of prosperity of any of the planta- 

 ticms that we saw in this region. 



DETAILED STUDY OF NAVEL ORANGE ORCHARDS. 



Five typical orange orchards were selected for careful and detailed 

 study. The owners and locations of these groves were as follows : 

 Dr. Fortunato da Silva, Col. Lago, Col. Baretto, all of Cabulla; 

 Col. Demetrio of Cruz de Cosme ; and Col. Fredrico da Costa of Matatu. 

 In these orchards plots of 50 or 100 trees each were selected for our 

 record purposes. These trees w-ere numbered in a similar manner to 

 the tree numbers in our regular tree performance record work. 

 Arrangements were made by Dr. Argollo-Ferrao to continue the tree 

 records for several seasons for further information as to the tree 

 behavior. Our records included a description of the individual tree 

 based on measurements, the amount and character of production, insect 

 enemies and fungous diseases, the lay of the land, characteristics of the 

 soil, methods of culture and all available items of interest bearing on the 

 tree condition and performance. In addition to these systematic notes, 



26498—2 



