420 THE MONTHLY BULLETIN. 



then get into the hole with both feet and tramp soil firmly around the 

 roots. If the field is not prepared for irrigation, water should be 

 poured into each hole before it is completely filled with earth. After 

 this water sinks the rest of the dirt may be put in. Where the irriga- 

 tion system is ready for use the trees should be irrigated immediately 

 after planting. 



Cultivation. — The cultivation of an olive orchard varies very little 

 from that of any other orchard. In general, it should be plowed deeply 

 late in the. fall or as early in the spring as possible. This plowing 

 should be followed by discing and cultivation. The orchard should be 

 cultivated thoroughly after each rain or irrigation, and in all cases with 

 sufficient frequency to keep down weeds. 



Irrigation. — Before the orchard comes into bearing, the irrigation 

 need be only of sufficient frequency to keep it in good healthy, growing 

 condition. 



With bearing orchards the irrigation must be not only of sufficient 

 frequency to insure the vigorous growth of the trees, but to develop 

 fruit of as large size as possible. The frequency of irrigation is deter- 

 mined in large measure by the character of the soil and the location. 

 Shallow and leachy soils require much more frequent irrigation than 

 those which are deeper and more retentive. In some shallow soils of 

 the Sierra foothills it is necessary to irrigate at least every 20 days 

 from the time the fruit is half grown until it is taken from the trees. 

 In the deeper soils of the interior an irrigation once a month during 

 this time will prove sufficient. Along the coast in ordinarily good soils 

 two or three irrigations per season will usually prove sufficient for all 

 purposes. In most locations an irrigation a week or two before blossom- 

 ing time and one a few weeks before picking will prove beneficial. 



Fertilization. — On most good soils for the first 25 years no fertiliza- 

 ing other than the plowing under of cover crops and perhaps stable 

 manure will be necessary. On the shallower and poorer soils it may 

 be necessary to use complete commercial fertilizers in addition to cover 

 crops. The amount necessary and the cost per acre have not been 

 determined. 



Pruning. — So far as our knowledge goes at present, the only pruning 

 that a young orchard requires is that which gives proper form to the 

 head and which keeps the trunk free from water sprouts. 



The pruning of a bearing orchard that has been regularly pruned is a 

 comparatively simply matter, as it is only necessary to cut out branches 

 where the tree is too dense and to cut back sufficiently to promote a 

 moderate growth of young wood for the crop of the following season. 

 Where the trees have been long neglected or have not been pruned at 

 all, pruning will be a much more complicated and difficult task than in 

 the first instance cited, especially until the heads of the trees have 

 been re-formed and the growth properly regulated. In some instances 

 this will mean the cutting back of the tree almost to the stump and 

 re-forming the head entirely. In other cases, cleaning out of superfluous 

 brush, cutting out cross limbs and opening up the head of the trees will 

 be all that is needed. Where trees have multiple trunks they should be 

 reduced in number by cutting off the smaller and most ill-placed. 



