THE MOXTHLY BULLETIN. 



247 



rust out the tin containers in which it is sometimes placed in less 

 than a year. The Queen is susceptible to olive knot to quite a marked 

 degree and the fruit is liable to soften after pickling unless very 

 carefully handled. Good returns from all three varieties mentioned 

 have been had this season and future planting for some time -to come 

 Avill consist of these alone. 



Three methods of cultivation are practiced : clean cultivation with 

 irrigation; irrigation with alfalfa as a hay crop between the trees, and 

 irrigation without cultivation. By cultivation is here meant any- 

 thing in the way of working the soil that keeps the tree in a better 

 condition than total neglect. Clean cultivation in the summer proves 

 very satisfactory. Irrigation with the alfalfa keeps the trees and 

 fruit in fine condition, but the fall irrigation necessary to keep the 

 alfalfa from drying the trees out j;nd shriveling the olives Avill retard 



♦s 





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Fig. 72. — Olive orchard at Corning, Cal., showing method of limeing soil. 

 This procedure greatly aids in the handling of sticky soils. (Photo by H. .1. 

 Henny Co., Corning, Cal.) 



the ripening period, and frost will be likely to get a large part of 

 the crop. The olive being a shallow-rooted tree with the l)ulk of the 

 feeding roots close to the surface, does very well along ditch banks 

 and in orchards where very shallow cultivation and frequent irriga- 

 tion is practiced. 



Fertilization experiments are being carried on by the H. J. Heinz 

 Company, which, by the way, have an up-to-date olive pickling plant 

 at Corning, but it is too early to say as to the results. Lime is being 

 added throughout the Corning section to many groves (see Fig. 72). 

 with the result at least of putting the soil in a much better mechan- 

 ical condition than it was before. As no experiments have been 

 carried along for a sufficient length of time to determine the effects 

 on the trees, it is enough to say that the easier working of the heavy 

 soil after an application of lime is sufficient to warrant the expense. 



