262 OLIVES. 



C H A P T E R V 1 11 . 



CULTIVATION OF OLIVESi 

 BY THE EDITOR* 



The Olive tree, as far as we are concerned in the northern 

 antl eastern states, cannot be considered as an orchard 

 irne, nor in any other respect than a green-house shrub, 

 which is foreign to our subject. But in the hope of exci- 

 ting attention in our fellow citizens in the southern states, 

 I shall offer some remarks, which I hope may be use- 

 ful to thsm, more particularly to the cultivators of South 

 Carolina, Georgia, and Florida. I shall not enumerate all 

 the varieties of the Olive, taking it for granted that the best 

 kinds only will be selected from the countries which produc© 

 ihe best oil. 



Propagation, 



The Olive may be increased, First, By seeds. Let the 

 Olives, when fully ripe, be separated from the pulp and 

 well washed ; then dried a f^w days in the sun ; when they 

 arc perfectly dry, let them be pitted as follov/s : Dig a hole 

 about a foot deep, and of a size according to the quantity of 

 stones ; then proceed to put in a layer of stones and a layer 

 of sand until the hole is nearly filled up ; then lay on 

 sand or mould enough to raise the mound five or six inches 

 above the surface : here they may remain until the follow- 

 ing spring, when they will have cracked the stones, and 

 are just beginning to sprout, will be the proper time to sow 

 them ; and as probably many of them v/ill not be sprouted ; 

 let those be gently cracked with a hammer, being careful not 

 to iiijure the germ ; let them be sown in drills much in the 

 sn:n3 mannsr that peas are sown, and afterwards managed 

 in the same way as directed for apple stocks, which see. 

 Seroiidhi. By grafting. The same process as directed for 

 5^;rafling apples may be observed with Olives. Thirdly. 

 They may be increased by laying. Fourthly. They may 

 t;o increased by cuttings, either from the young wood, with a 

 sm;ill bit of the old v/ood, or from trunchings, or small knotty 

 five or six year old branches, cut about three feet long. 



The firrk method is the best to raise them on a large 

 sc.t'e, the most simple, systematic, and expeditious. 



j'ula word or two to the cultivators of South Carolina, 



