8 ORCHARD GREEN-MANURE CROPS IN CALIFORNIA, 
THE ORCHARD DISTRICTS OF CALIFORNIA. 
The orchard districts of California so far as green-manure crops 
are concerned at once divide themselves into the citrus and the 
deciduous fruit districts. These are again readily divided into the 
northern and southern citrus districts and the irrigated and nonirri- 
gated deciduous sections. 
The two citrus districts have a definite geographical distinction, 
while with the deciduous orchards water is the differentiating factor, 
without reference to any geographical distinction. The citrus dis- 
tricts are quite definite in area. The southern district is confined to 
what is known as southern California proper and includes the territory 
south of the Sierra Madre Mountains and north along the coast to 
Santa Barbara. The northern district includes a narrow strip on the 
east side of the San Joaquin Valley from some distance south of 
Porterville to Lemoncove, Tulare County, on the north; a similar 
but smaller area in Fresno County; a small area in the Sacramento 
Valley, centering about Oroville and Palermo; and various small 
areas in other parts of the valleys and foothills. 
Conditions with regard to water, soil, climatic or seasonal varia- 
tions, etc., are quite different in these various sections, and the plant 
best suited to a certain area must be carefully considered in deter- 
mining the probability of success with a green-manure crop. Prac- 
tices satisfactory in one locality may be unsuited to another, and the 
crop best adapted to one section may not be adapted’ to another. 
SOUTHERN CITRUS SECTION. 
The seasonal conditions of the southern citrus section are such as 
to make this the most favorable part of the State for growing green- 
manure crops. The locality and climatic conditions are such that 
these crops are practically never injured by frosts, and the mild 
winters favor vegetative growth at that time of the year. 
In contrast with the deciduous sections, where there is usually a 
heavy rainfall, here the rainfall is usually light. However, as irriga- 
tion is given throughout the dry season the conditions are favorable 
to the sowing of a green-manure crop early in the fall, thus giving 
sufficient time for considerable growth before the cold weather of 
winter. 
The soils vary considerably in composition and mechanical texture, 
but as a general rule are of such a nature as to permit working at 
almost any time during the winter, except after heavy rains, thus 
favoring the turning under of a green-manure crop. Whilesome 
soils in this section are a rich loam and contain considerable organic 
matter, as arule they are quite deficient in this respect. That green 
manures need to be more extensively used is evident. 
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