8 BULLETIN 445, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 
cattle. Practically all of the orange groves are located on the hill- 
tops (fig. 1 and Pl. IV), frequently extending down the hillsides to 
the borders of the valleys. As terracing is not practiced, the hillside 
soil is sometimes bady eroded. 
The surface soil on the hilltops is usually a rather coarse, sandy 
Joam a foot or more in depth, underlain by the heavy, yellowish red 
clay which is characteristic of the region. On the hillsides, which are 
subject to erosion by the rains, the surface loam is lacking. The clay 
TONNEL 
/PITANGR O 
© PIRAVA 
PLATAFORMA 
© CAMPINAS 
MoNTSERRAT 
ITAPUAN O 
BAHIA DE 
TODOS OS SANTOS 
TRO 
S70 ites NIO SF 5 Fro VeRMELHO 
Fig. 1.—Sketch map of the vicinity of Bahia, Brazil, the dotted areas showing the prin- 
cipal districts where navel oranges are grown. 
soil, though occasionally shallow, frequently extends to a depth of 
30 feet or more, as shown by numerous railway and road cuts in the 
region. It commonly rests on granite. Set 
Before clearing, the land is covered with shrubby vegetation, 
nicurt palms (Cocos coronata Mart.), mangabeiras (Hancornia 
speciosa Gomez), and sometimes virgin forest. The presence of the 
mangabeira is taken as an indication that the land is suitable for 
orange culture. The municipality of Bahia includes about 50,000 
acres of arable land, of which it is claimed about 35,000 acres are 
typical citrus soil. 
