328 PEAR GROWING IN CALIFORNIA. 



the orchard. Fig. 130 is a picture of a young pear orchard in the Rio 

 Linda section of Sacramento County which illustrates this point. 



On the extremely fertile soils along the Sacramento River in 

 Sacramento County pear growers have made a great success of beans, 

 tomatoes and cantaloupes as intercrops. Fig. 131 illustrates the possi- 

 bilities of success with beans, and Fig. 133 shows a fine crop of tomatoes 

 growing in a young pear orchard. The field of beans yielded 31 sacks 

 per acre. This exceptionally high yield was partially due, no doubt, 

 to the fact that inoculated seed was used. From 15 to 18 sacks 

 per acre is probably about the average that could be expected from 

 beans in a young orchard. Fig. 132 is a picture of the same orchard 

 shown in Fig. 131, taken three years later. At this time eleven hundred 

 trees produced 1,300 boxes of pears. It will be noted that the trees have 

 made a splendid growth despite the fact that intercrops of beans and 

 tomatoes have been grown each season and that the returns from these 

 crops have paid good interest while the orchard was coming into bearing. 

 A rotation of beans, tomatoes, corn and cantaloupes is practiced by the 

 Sacramento River pear growers who are intercropping their young 

 orchards. The success which they are making of such crops as those 

 mentioned is, of course, only possible where the soil is good and where 

 moisture conditions are favorable as in this section. 



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