TIMELY HINTS FOR FARMERS. 



GREEN-MANURING PLANTS FOR ORCHARDS. 

 No. i, October i. 



During the past year the Arizona Experiment Station has 

 been testing plants that gave promise of being useful for plowing 

 under to improve the soil. Special attention has been given to 

 plants suitable for growth in orchards. The two best plants tested 

 were Melilotus indica and alfalfa. The Melilotus is the plant com- 

 monly called "sour clover" in Arizona. Elsewhere it is known as 

 Yellow sweet-clover or Bitter Melilot. It belongs to the same 

 genus as White sweet-clover (Melilotus alba,) the flowers being 

 yellow instead of white. It is an annual, while the white-flowered 

 Melilot is a biennial. 



Yellow sweet-clover (sour clover) grows naturally through- 

 out the southwest, being commonly considered a weed. In south- 

 ern Arizona it is quite common in grain fields, these being the 

 source of the seed used for sowing in orchards. Seed can be 

 obtained where grain has been threshed, or at grist and rolling 

 mills, the cost being slight. 



The seed will germinate only during the cool weather from 

 September to April. The earlier it is sown in the fall the more 

 growth will be secured for turning under in the spring. If sown 

 the latter part of September or the early part of October it will 

 ordinarily attain a height of three to six inches before being 

 checked by the cool weather "of December and January. It may 

 be sown as late as December, but will not give as heavy a yield as 

 if sown earlier. About 50 pounds of seed should be sown per 

 acre. 



The method of seeding found to be the best is to level the 

 ground well, sow broadcast, furrow with a three-shovel furrow - 

 er, roll, and irrigate by running the water in the furrows, which 

 should be two or three feet apart. Irrigating it frequently dur- 

 ing the winter will not only increase the yield, but will benefit 

 the orchard. 



