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Rotations For California

Categories: Grains and Forage Crops

I wish to work out a practical system of crop rotation suitable to the

climate and conditions obtaining in southern California. Would you

recommend different systems for grain lands and irrigated lands?



General schemes of rotation are hard to work out in California. They

must be locally revised according to the local temperature conditions

and the local market also. We should endeavor to find out what has been
<
r /> successfully grown on similar lands to those which you have in mind and

arrange the rotation on that basis, from what we knew of the relation of

the different plants to soil fertility, etc. You cannot make out a

satisfactory local scheme for the seven counties in southern California,

because of the widely different behavior of the separate plants in the

different parts of the district. You can hardly work on the basis of

soil character: moisture supply and temperatures are more determinative.

Surely you should make a scheme for irrigated land different from that

for dry land, and it could not only be a longer rotation, but many more

plants would be available for its service.







Berseem?







Berseem has been introduced into this country from Egypt, and would like

to know if it has been used in California, and if it has came up to

expectations.



Berseem is an annual clover supposed to grow only during the summer

time. It has been tried widely in California, but practically abandoned

because it will not grow during the rainy season. It is in no way

comparable to alfalfa, which is a deep rooted perennial plant, nor would

it be comparable with burr clover as a winter grower on lands which have

a moderate amount of water.



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