63 A. EF. Verrill—The Bermuda Islands. 
Governor Lefroy (1877) stated that there was a venerable olive 
tree still standing on Norwood’s ancient property, close to the house 
where he resided, but that the olive trees were then rather scarce, 
and no use was made of the scanty fruit. 
Governor Sayle, in his proclamation of May, 1662, says in regard 
to the planting of olive trees :—‘* wee haveing had experience 
thereof these 40 yeares, twenty yeares whereof they have boorne 
olives, but have not produced any profitt. *Wee together with the 
Assembly have returned our answer to the Honorable Company 
accordingly.” 
But yet, in accordance with the orders of the Company, he required 
that two olive trees should be planted at once on each share. 
Some fine old trees, that may have been planted at that time, still 
exist. Young ones are common, growing wild. ‘The largest one 
that we saw was near the southeast shore of Somerset Island. Of 
this a photograph was made in 1901. (Plate Ixix.) Its trunk is 
entirely concealed by an immense number of tall sprouts. This tree, 
which has evidently had no care for very many years, and does not 
look as if it had ever been pruned, is perhaps two and a half feet 
in diameter at base. It must be very ancient, for olive-trees grow 
slowly. Possibly it was planted in 1662, 
On the Walsingham place there are also many olive trees, some of 
them of good size. 
Sweet Orange, (Citrus aurantium W.). Mandarin Orange, (C. 
nobilis L.). Lemon, (CU. medica, var. limonum Risso.). 
A brief history of the cultivation and decline of the orange and 
lemon trees has been given in a previous chapter (p. 526). It is not 
probable that Bermuda can again successfully compete with Florida, 
California, ete., in supplying the American market with these fruits, 
but a sufficient quantity of choice fruit might be grown to supply 
the local demand, at the hotels, ete. 
But in order to do this improved and vigorous varieties should be 
introduced and kept up by grafting, and the improved modern 
methods for destroying the scale-insects and other injurious species 
must be adopted. <A great quantity of literature relating to this 
subject, published by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, is now 
easily available.* 
* The most effectual and cheapest remedy for destroying the scale-insects is 
the fumigation by means of hydroeyanic acid gas (prussic acid gas) generated 
under cloth tents placed over the trees. But as this gas is very poisonous to 
man, it should be used only by careful persons, trained for this work. 
