396 fTHE PISTACHIO-NUT TRIE 



seedlings of the terebinth. The Algerian or North 

 African Terebinth (Pistacia atlantica) which is very com- 

 mon throughout North Africa is also said to furnish an 

 excellent stock for the pistachio-nut tree, being more 

 vigorous than the terebinth. In Sicily the tree is budded 

 almost esclusively on the terebinth (Pistacia Terebinthus} 

 which grows wild on rocky -ground and in the fissures of 

 volcanic rocks. 



The terebinth is easily propagated in quantity by 

 sowing the ripe seed in beds, in March or April, and the 

 seedlings are planted out in winter when they are about 

 two years old. At this age they bear transplanting fairly 

 well and with little risk of failure, and they are planted 

 directly in their final quarters to avoid the trouble and 

 danger of having to transplant again when they are older. 

 Planting should be done in January or February, the 

 seedling which will be 15 to 30 c.m. high, is inserted 

 deeply into the ground, and the soil pressed down firmly 

 around it, Should the weather be too dry in spring it 

 will be necessary to water the seedlings, once or twice to 

 help them to establish themselves, and afterwards they 

 require no further attention. The terebinth seedlings 

 are budded after two or three years, if strong enough, and 

 the operation is best performed at ground level or at a 

 height not exceeding 50 c.m. Budding is done during 

 all the time that the sap is in movement, that is from 

 April to August, and the buds should be taken preferably 

 from the new or green wood. Grafting should be done 

 late in winter, just when the buds begin to swell, but as a 

 rule budding is preferable to grafting and gives better 

 results. Only the female pistachio tree is thus propagated, 

 but should there be a scarcity of male terebinths for 

 pollination, it will be necessary to bud a few seedlings 

 with the male terebinth or with the male pistachio tree, 

 or to bud occasionally one of the suckers which are 

 thrown up rather profusely from the base of the budded 

 terebinth stock. All attempts at propagation by grafting 



