like to plant something that will benefit the ground. The winds are the
strongest from December to April. This is in the irrigated district and
I need something that will make a sod during that period.

We would, in all the valleys, advise a fall irrigation (if the rains are
late) and the sowing of burr clover, which when started in September
will have the ground well covered by December, if you keep the moisture
right to push it. Disking or plowing this under in March (or April,
according to locality) will hold the sand and afterward enrich it. You
can do this every year, but probably you will not need to seed it more
than once.



Bananas in California.



Is there any reason why bananas would not grow and bear in the vicinity
of Merced if they had plenty of water? Or would the cool nights at
certain seasons keep them from bearing? Would they do better in the
Imperial valley?

Bananas would suffer too severely from frost to be profitable at any
point in the interior valleys of California. A plant would be killed to
the ground at least every year unless under glass or other protection.
There are a few places practically frostless where bananas can be grown
in this State, but there is no promise in commercial production because
they can be so cheaply imported from the tropics.