THE OLIVE. 25 



is unfair to expect from it the free growth of a forest 

 tree. Probably no other tree could stand so much 

 cutting and mutilation without being completely 

 disfigured. The severe pruning of the Olive is a 

 tradition of the oldest times. Columella, writing 

 early in the first century, cites an ancient saying to 

 this effect : " If you dig round the Olives, you ask 

 for fruit ; if you put in manure, you beg for fruit ; if 

 yon cut back the branches, you must have fruit." 

 (Olivetum qui arat, rogat fructum ; qui stercorat 

 exorat ; qui credit cogit.) We should admire the 

 Olive more if it were mingled with other trees, so as 

 to form a less monotonous covering for the hill sides. 

 About Mentone and on the Italian side of the frontier 

 little pruning is done beyond taking out the dead 

 wood. 



The largest Olive trees that I have seen any- 

 where are at St. Pons, just below the church. They 

 form a magnificent avenue running at right angles to 

 the course of the river bed. There is no public 

 thoroughfare, but the peasants are obliging, as one 

 almost always finds them to be when reasonably 

 treated. It is curious that the man who cultivates 

 this farm is himself of gigantic stature. Is there 

 anything in the air of St. Pons which favours the 

 growth of both men and trees ? I strongly recommend 

 a visit to this Olive grove. If you approach the 

 place by way of the Paillon, you should return to 

 Nice by the little path that winds up to Rimiez ; 

 thence you can descend either by Cimiez or by 

 Brancolar. Just above Cap Martin there are some 

 remarkably fine trees. 



A famous old Olive tree stood at Beaulieu, near 



