TWENTY-NINTH FRUIT-GROWERS' CONVENTION. 



231 



ased for this purpose in our orchards, because the seed was easily 

 obtained, but it is certain to be supplanted by something better. Out 

 of fifteen varieties that I have tried for this special purpose one gives 

 promise of being of exceptional value. This is a variety of TrigoneUa, 

 commonly called fenugreek, a plant similar in many of its character- 

 istics to Medicago. Peas in soils deficient in nitrogen make a very poor 

 growth the first year unless inoculated with their specific bacteria by 

 scattering some of the soil taken from a field where peas have previously 

 made a good growth; but fenugreek made an extravagant growth the 

 first year, which gave some ground for the belief that bacteria of 

 bur-clover, or some of the other domesticated legumes, had found a 

 congenial home in the roots of the plant. Planting should commence 

 soon after the first of October, but good results can be obtained from 

 seed sown as late as December first. Sow the seed broadcast, and 

 before it has commenced to sprout prepare the land for irrigation, first 

 by furrowing at right angles to the way you wish to run the water, 

 and then ridging the other, or if this can be done on the contour, so 

 much the better. Then by checking at frequent intervals, we will be 

 prepared to furnish moisture in times when the rainfall is deficient and 

 also to thoroughly soak the ground when ready to plow. The practice 

 of furrowing in the direction in which the water flows is objectionable, 

 since it provides a ready means of conveying the rainfall from the land. 

 The use of a cover crop will be found of great benefit in preventing 

 the erosion of the surface during periods of the heavy rains which some- 

 times come, even in California. 



I have been striving for ten years to grow a volunteer crop. Some 

 years this has been fairly successful, both with bur-clover and melilot — 

 two very valuable plants for this purpose; but they were frequently par- 

 tially and sometimes entirely suppressed by plants less useful but more 

 tenacious of growth, like some of the brome grasses. I now have a very 

 good volunteer crop of fenugreek growing where it was plowed-under 

 last spring. An objection to this crop is that for the seed to properly 

 mature, the plowing will have to be delayed later in the spring than is 

 desirable. While the seed of fenugreek may be a scarce article at 

 present, means would soon be found to supply it if a demand should be 

 created. We may also expect, from the attention being given to this 

 line of investigation by selection, cross-pollination, etc., the development 

 of a class of plants as nitrogen-gatherers better than any we now have, 

 besides furnishing a growth of herbage for the creation of humus not 

 equaled by anything we have at present, although I have harvested 

 seventeen pounds from one square yard of green plants. 



The practice of green-manuring will be found very beneficial against 

 the formation of irrigation hardpan, which is caused by the finer 

 particles from the cultivated surface and the soluble salts from the 



