THE OLIVE IN CALIFORNIA 345 



to the amounts of plant food and moisture, and it is idle to expect 

 fruit without irrigation if the soil can only furnish water enough for 

 the growth of the tree. There must be moisture enough in the soil 

 to hold the fruit plump and smooth. Olives shriveled by drouth 

 will usually become smooth again after fall rains, but shriveling, 

 either by drouth or frost, leaves the fruit out of condition for 

 pickling. 



The irrigation of the olive depends upon the conditions which 

 determine the desirability of other fruits, as discussed in Chapter 

 XV. If the rainfall is scant usually, or occasionally by the failure 

 of spring rains, a good irrigation is desirable in April, and usually 

 another in midsummer. Most essential, however, is a good irrigation 

 in September in the interior where the fruit ripens early and is 

 likely to be small and inferior unless the tree is well supplied with 

 moisture in the fall. Near the coast where the rainfall is heavier, 

 more regular, apt to be earlier in the autumn and where the fruit 

 ripens later, irrigation may not be required. 



On foothill slopes the trees bear fruit earlier than in the rich 

 valleys, although in the latter the trees attain larger growth. Trees 

 in the interior bear sooner than on the coast, and ripen their fruit 

 earlier in the season. 



The olive tree is now thriving in California in a great variety of 

 soils. It is productive, if frosts are not too severe on most valley 

 lands, while on hillsides, even where excavations had to be made 

 between boulders, or into disintegrating rock, the tree has exhibited 

 thrift and content with the situation. But the conclusion should 

 not be drawn that the olive relishes poor soil. It may thrive with 

 loose rocks or boulders, but it finds among them the elements it 

 needs including an adequate supply of moisture. It is not to be 

 inferred that the olive will succeed on sterile soil. 



The olive is chiefly grown with clean summer cultivation. Grow- 

 ing the tree in irrigated alfalfa, as discussed in Chapter XIV, is 

 objectionable because of the danger of delaying the ripening of the 

 fruit and bringing it farther into the rainy season, which is a very 

 great disadvantage. 



Although the relations of soils to the qualities of oil have been 

 investigated by the University of California Experiment Station 

 and some interesting results published, we have not had experience 

 enough in this State to demonstrate the influence of soils on the 

 quality of the oil, but trade results have shown that good oil has 

 been made from fruit grown on some of our best valley fruit soils, 

 deep and naturally well drained, as well as from fruit grown upon 

 drier uplands, and the production on deeper, richer lands is much 

 larger. 



PROPAGATION OF THE OLIVE 



Olives are propagated from seed, and from cuttings of various 

 kinds and sizes. The growth from seed is seldom practiced in this 

 State, because growth from cuttings is easy, and furnishes the 

 variety desired without grafting. 



