:io March, igi^.] 



The Olive. 



197 



It often happens that the young trees shed their leaves after trans- 

 planting, sometimes remaining through a whole season without making any 

 growth. This is particularly s.o if planited out of season. No alarm, 

 however, should be occasioned at this; so long as the bark remains green 

 and plump, they may be depended on to start into growth again. In 

 the first season after transplanting, the young trees should be allowed to 

 make as much growth as possible, even though a number of shoots come 

 from below the crown. This is to encourage as great a root extension as 

 possible ; shaping up can be undertaken before the next season. 



The distance to plant the trees apart will depend chiefly on local con- 

 ditions, variety and methods of culture. Various distances from 20 to 

 30 ft. apart are recommended bv different authorities. Some varieties, 

 such as the Verdale. are not such 

 strong growers, as. for instance, 

 Polvmorpha ; hence, thev can be 

 planted closer together. The 

 writer is inclined to favour the 

 lesser distance, between 20 to 25 

 ft. ; that is, where hand picking is 

 intended. This will necessitate 

 the practice of careful pruning 

 -each vear. as with our other fruit 

 trees, to keep the trees low and in 

 proper shape. If the trees are 

 allowed to grow unrestrained, they 

 will eventually crowd at this dis- 

 tance. Such crowding will cause 

 the exclusion of light from the 

 lower parts of the trees and result 

 in bad setting of the fruit, and 

 ■dying back of the lower branches. 

 The tops of the trees will become 

 -so broad and unwieldy that heat- 

 ing down the fruit will have to be 

 resorted to. Where this method 

 -of gathering the fruit is intended, 

 the trees may be planted further 

 -apart and allowed to grow to a great size. 



In some localities, it is found that certain varieties show a tendenc} 

 to be self-sterile, if planted in isolated blocks. Hence, it is advisable to 

 plant other varieties adjacent to insure cross-pollination, which is likely 

 to result in more regular crops. 



CROWN AND TOP OF YOUNG TREES 

 SUITABLE FOR TRANSPLANTING. 



Cultivation. 

 It is thought, by many, that good cultivation is unnecessary for the olive. 

 In fact, it is claimed, by some growers, that the trees do better where culti- 

 vation is not adopted. Quite a number of the plantations in this 

 country are either not cultivated at all, or at odd times with intervals of 

 years between. This system of cultivation at periods of long intervals is 

 perhaps more detrimental than none at all, owing to the strong tendency of 

 the small feeding roots of olive trees to rise close to the surface of the soil. 

 If the soil is undisturbed for several years it becomes a netw^ork of fibrous 

 roots, these will be destroyed if the ploughing takes place again. ' Con- 

 -stant cultivation encourages deeper rooting. 



