THE PISTACHIO-NUT TREE ] 397 



or budding on the Mastich tree (Pis facia Lentiscus Lin., 

 Maltese= dent) which is common everywhere in our 

 valleys have invariably given negative results. 



CULTIVATION. The cultivation of the pistachio-nut 

 tree has never been taken up in earnest by our garden- 

 ers, and up to the present there are few pistachio -nut 

 trees in the Island, although the tree thrives here if 

 possible better than in Sicily. The only difficulty in the 

 way of a more extended cultivation consists in obtaining 

 a sufficient quantity of terebinth stock with which to 

 start the plantation, but the terebinth has been grown 

 in San Antonio Gardens for many years, and consider- 

 able numbers of seedlings have been planted on rocky 

 ground in the Boschetto where they are thriving ad- 

 mirably so that it will be easy to raise as many seedlings 

 as may be required. 



The pistachio-tree when well established requires 

 hardly any attention. The shoots or suckers which spring 

 around the base of the stem should be removed, and 

 pruning which is performed in winter, is limited to a 

 cleaning process, removing all dead and diseased 

 branches, and trimming back as may be necessary to 

 keep the tree in shape. No irrigation is necessary, even 

 on very dry soils, but good tillage and an occasional 

 manuring will improve the vigour of the tree and its 

 productiveness. 



The budded plants commence to bear fruit after five 

 or six years, and the production increases in proportion 

 to the size of the tree. The useful life of the budded 

 tree may be calculated at 50 to 60 years, but trees which 

 have ceased to be productive owing to old age, may be 

 rejuvenated by cutting them down, and budding one 

 or two of the vigorous shoots which are immediately 

 thrown up by the old rootstock or stump. 



The pistachio-nut matures late in August or in Sep- 

 tember. At maturity the fruit becomes greenish white 



