Be careful, however, not to defer
planting trees and vines too late in order to let the green stuff grow,
because this would hazard the success of your planting by the reduction
of the moisture supply during the following summer by the amount which
might be required to keep the covered-in stuff decaying, plus loss of
moisture from the fact that the covered stuff prevented you from getting
thorough surface cultivation during the dry season. For these reasons
one is to be careful about planting on covered-in stuff which has not
had a chance to decay. This consideration, of course, becomes negligible
if you have water for summer irrigation, but if you expect to get the
growth of your trees and vines with the rainfall of the previous winter,
be careful not to waste it in either of the ways which have been
indicated, and above all, do not plant trees and vines too late.
Theoretically, your position is perfect. The application of it, however,
requires some care and judgment. Rather than plant too late, you had
better grow the green stuff the winter after the trees have been
planted.
Needs Organic Matter.
I have what I believe to be decomposed sandstone. Many rocks are still
projecting out of land which I blast and break up. The soil works freely
when moist or wet, but when dry it takes a pick-axe to dig it up; a plow
won't touch it. Among my young fruit trees I tried to grow peas, beans,
carrots and beets, and although I freely irrigated them during the
summer and fall, and although I planted at different times, my peas and
beans have been a total failure, and the beets, carrots and onions
nearly so.
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