108 [ THE OLIVE TREE 



defects are due to a weak pollination at the flowering 

 period, and are best guarded against by planting here 

 and there in the grove a few olive trees of the small - 

 fruited varieties which approach to the wild type and 

 are capable of inducing a vigorous cross-pollination. 



As in the case of most other fruit trees, I am 

 decidedly in favour of a specialized olive grove, that is a 

 grove containing no other fruit trees but olive trees of 

 the same variety or perhaps of two varieties mixed 

 together to assist cross-pollination. A specialized grove 

 is always planted with greater regularity, which ensures 

 a thorough exploitation of the soil, and is on the whole 

 more carefully cultivated than mixed groves, and 

 therefore gives better results. However, the olive tree 

 can be associated with other trees such as the almond, 

 the pomegranate and the fig, and to a less extent with 

 the carob, the mulberry and the prickly pear ; but the 

 most desirable company for the olive tree is that of the 

 vine. In fact whether an olive grove is planted in the 

 square system 6 to 7 metres apart, or in the quincunx or 

 hexagonal system at a distance of 5 to 6 metres from 

 tree to tree, the ground may be planted with vines in 

 regular rows, to within two metres from the stem of the 

 young olive trees Gradually as the olive trees grow to 

 adult size, the vines are removed or die off, until only 

 one row of vines is retained, alternating with the rows of 

 the olive trees, The fruit of vines growing in the olive 

 grove perhaps cannot always attain full size, but will be 

 rich in sugar and therefore specially suitable for the 

 press ; and on the other hand the advantages of the 

 higher cultivation required by the vines will be shared 

 by the olive trees. 



Besides the typical tall-growing wild olive or 

 Oleaster above mentioned, which is chiefly planted in 

 ornamental gardening, and the small box-leaved wild 

 olives of our valleys, the following varieties are cultivated 

 in our groves. 



