The first season's 



growth of an 



Olive Tree in the 



orchard. 



The importance of 

 shortening in 

 these branches 

 cannot be over- 

 estimated. It is 

 our observation 

 that unprofitable 

 trees are often 

 the result of a 

 want of pruning. 



soil will fill in all interstices and exclude the air. After the 

 soil is settled fill in with loose soil and tramp it down. The 

 trench should not be less than fourteen inches deep and have 

 your trees stand upright, rather than at an angle. Treated in 

 this manner they will remain in perfect condition until the 

 ground is in shape for planting. 



As the roots of an olive are very sensitive to exposure as 

 soon as they are taken out of the trenches and prior to plant- 

 ing, all bruised and lacerated roots should be cut off and a 

 new clean cut made on all the other roots. Before taking out 

 to the field, puddle the roots in the same manner as is recom- 

 mended for the fig. This particular phase of the operation 

 must not be overlooked. Dig the holes to receive the trees 

 as recommended for the general run of deciduous fruit trees 

 and follow the other directions faithfully. Do not fail to 

 cut the tree back to twenty inches after being planted and 

 shorten all laterals to two inches. 

 If there should be no laterals, cut the 

 trees back anyway, for the olive will 

 always force out its blind buds. 



The theory that olives can be 

 grown successfully on poor rocky 

 soils has been exploded long ago. 

 It is a fact that olive trees are 

 found growing in such soils in many 

 countries of Europe, as the writer 

 knows from personal observation, 

 but this does not indicate that olive 

 culture is a success in such soils, for 

 it is not. The trees usually are 

 scrawny, entirely lacking in the es- 

 sentials which go to make a perfect 

 tree, and would cause the orchardist 

 accustomed to 'the fine luxuriant 

 trees, as they grow in California, to 

 have heart failure if he had such 

 prospects before him. 



It is not necessary for any man to 

 waste his time attempting to grow 

 .olives in inferior soils, with the 

 thousands of acres of fine land still 

 available for cultivation. 



Do not make the mistake of plant- 

 ing the trees too close together. The 

 olive is a gross feeder and sends out 

 a mass of small surface roots. Never 

 plant closer than twenty-five feet 

 apart on sandy soils, thirty feet in a 

 good loamy soil, and it is practicable 

 to plant trees forty feet apart on 

 rich deep soils, with a deciduous tree 



Note how the branches 

 have been shortened in and 

 thinned out, and that as 

 far as possible branches 

 having an upward tenden- 

 cy, have been encouraged 

 to grow. 



