16 ORCHARD GREEN-MANURE CROPS IN CALIFORNIA. 
The qualities of common vetch are such as to make it well adapted 
for green-manure purposes, especially in citrus orchards, and 
orchardists in general are growing it in preference to field peas, which 
were largely grown a few years since. - 
Common vetch makes a vinelike growth similar to that of peas, but 
the vines are less succulent and so are able to stand considerable hard 
usage without much injury. Thus, in orchards when picking fruit 
and doing other work, the trampling which is unavoidable interferes 
but little with the growth of the vetch. The root system, which is 
quite extensive, lies largely near the surface and ordinarily is well 
covered with nodules. 
Fic. 3.—View in an orange orchard in southern California, showing common vetch grown as a green- 
manure crop. 
When used for a green-manure in southern California common 
vetch is usually sown during September and the first half of October. 
However, better results are being secured with the earlier seedings, 
and in most years to obtain the best results it is quite essential that 
the crop be sown during the first half of September. When thus 
sown the plants make a good growth before cold weather and continue 
to grow during the winter. But if the seed is sown late and the 
plants have made but a small growth before the cold weather, they 
then make little or practically no growth until the warmer weather 
comes in the latter part of the winter. 
190 
tee hehe is 
ee 
