50 



ROEDING'S FRUIT GROWERS' GUIDE 



A three-year-old Ascolano Olive tree, making a fine, uniform and healthy growth. 



trouble can be traced back to not again cutting the 

 trees back after they are set or to careless handling on 

 the part of the planter after the trees are received. 



In order to insure the best results for the orchardists, 

 the trees should be top-pruned and all the lateral 

 branches should be shortened before shipment from the 

 nursery. This method of trimming overcomes the 

 evaporation and loss of vitality through the foliage, 

 and is a very important point. 



Olive trees should not be transplanted until the mid- 

 dle of February, for it is only in a few places that the 

 growing season starts in earlier. When received at 

 destination take them out of the receptacle in which 

 they are packed and heel them in a sandy, warm soil 

 and then turn a hose loose in the trench so that the 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. 

 The trees should stand upright rather than at an angle. 

 Treated in this manner they will remain in perfect con- 

 dition until the ground is in shape for planting. As 

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



planting, 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 recommended for the fig. This 

 particular phase of the operation must not be over- 

 looked. Dig the holes to receive the trees as recom- 

 mended for the general run of deciduous fruit trees and 

 follow the other directions faithfully. Do not fail to 

 cut the trees back to two feet 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. 



Olives may be taken up in the late fall or in mid- 

 winter, provided they are dug with a ball of earth. 

 The trees start more quickly than those taken up with 

 naked roots and almost a perfect stand of trees is as- 

 sured. There is considerable additional expense en- 

 tailed in digging and packing and in railroad charges, 

 for a balled olive tree will weigh at least thirty pounds. 



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 



