lo Feb., 191; 



The Olive. 



129 



Spring is the most suitable time to carry out either budding or grafting 

 on tlie olive. Budding m,ay also take place again in late summer- ; but, 

 unless forced, such buds remain dormant over winter', and break into 

 growth in the spring. Spring buds, on the other hand, break into growth 

 straight away ; and, as they gain .a good hold, the tops of the stock or 

 branches are shortened back to concentrate the growth of the tree in the 

 bud. 



Scions. — The same care should be exerci.sed in selecting olive .scions, 

 either for budding or grafting, as is taken with other trees. They should 

 l>e obtained from the strongest and most prolific trees, and should be of 

 well-matured, but not over-matured, wood and of a suitable size. A good 

 method of obtaining suitable ones where little growth is made is to cut 

 back some of the branches on a selected tree. This will cause the growth 

 of vigorous wood. All leaves should be removed from the scions imme- 

 diately after cutting to prevent evaporation of moisture, 

 and they ought to be placed with their ends in water or 

 kept moist in some other way until used. Upright 

 wood of good growth and sufficiently matured should 

 be selected. 



Budding. — Quite a number of different forms of 

 buddings are adopted in various places and some dif- 

 ference of opinion exists among propagators as to 

 which is the better method, also with regard to the 

 removal of the wood from the buds. In budding 

 the olive, the writer favours the removal of the wood, 

 unless the stock is verv sappy or unless the buds are 

 cut in such manner that only a thin film of wood 

 fibre is left adhering to the bud. The two chief forms 

 of budding that are adopted and generally give ex- 

 cellent results are — (i) twig buds ; (2) axillary buds. 



Twig Buds. — These are made from small shoots 

 that are cut from the scions in the same manner as 

 ordinary leaf or axillarv buds. They succeed best 

 in spring. Some of the disadvantages in twig budding 

 are that the right kind of twig is not always easily ob- 

 tained. It often happens that these short twigs have 

 only well developed fruit buds, not onlv at the axils 

 of the leaves but also at the terminal point, and do 

 not make the best stock. Hence, it is necessary to 

 use some judgment in selecting only the right class of scion. More time 

 is also needed in this form of budding, but if it is carried out in spring 

 excellent results should be obtained. 



Axillary buds. — These are the common forms of buds used in the 

 propagation of fruit trees generally. They are easily made and quickly 

 inserted, and can be u.sed with success, either in spring or late summer. 



Grafting. — ^This work is carried out in early spring just when the 

 trees begin to make new growth. Many different forms of grafting may 

 be adopted. For general purposes, however, the tongue or whip graft 

 and the cleft graft will be found suitable. 



The tongue or whip graft is used chiefl\ on young stock, or where the 

 diameter of the stock is not great. It is found to be the most satisfactory 

 graft in such cases. 



10. TWIG BUD. 



