CALIFORNIA FRUITS: HOW TO GROW THIOM 



but the growth of the tree and the bearing of fruit will be pro- 

 portional to the amounts of plant food and moisture, and it is 

 idle to expect fruit without irrigation if the soil can not hold 

 water enough for the tree. On foot-hill slopes the trees bear fruit 

 earlier than in the rich valleys, although in the latter the trees 

 attain larger growth. Trees in the interior bear sooner than 

 on the coast, and ripen their fruit earlier in the season. 



The olive tree is now thriving in California in a great variety 

 of soils. It is productive, if frosts are not too severe, on moist 

 valley lands, while on hillsides, even where excavations had to 

 be made between boulders, or into disintegrating rock, the tree has 

 exhibited thrift and content with the situation. But the conclusion 

 should not be drawn that the olive relishes poor soil. It may 

 thrive with loose rocks or boulders, but it finds among them the 

 elements it needs including an adequate supply of moisture. It 

 is not to be inferred that the olive will succeed on sterile soil. 



Although the relations of soils to the qualities of oil have been 

 investigated by the University of California Experiment Station 

 and some interesting results published, we have not had experience 

 enough in this State to demonstrate the influence of soils on the 

 quality of the oil, but trade results have shown that good oil has 

 been made from fruit grown on some of our best valley fruit so ; ls, 

 deep and naturally well drained, as well as from fruit grown upon 

 drier uplands, and the production on deeper, richer lands is much 

 larger. 



PROPAGATION OF THE OLIVE 



Olives are propagated from seed, and from cuttings of various 

 kinds and sizes. The growth from seed is seldom practised in 

 this State, because growth from cuttings is easy, and furnishes 

 the variety desired without grafting. 



Growing Olives from Seed. The olives should not be planted 

 with the pulp, but cleaned of this either by letting them rot in a 

 pile or by putting them into an alkaline solution to cut the oil. 

 A simple way to hasten germination is to break the pits, taking 

 care not to hurt the germ. An instrument similar to the nut 

 cracker has been invented in France which is said to work well. 

 When the kernels are deprived of their shell, they are kept moist 

 in a compost, or mixture of cow-dung and sandy soil, and are 

 sown thickly in the month of April. If it is thought to be too 

 much work to take the kernels out of the pits, they must be soaked 

 for twenty-four hours in a solution of one-half pound of concen- 

 trated lye to the gallon of water. Most of the seeds sprout the 

 first year. Planting the naked kernels gives the quickest result. 

 Without using this artificial means the seeds may remain dormant 

 at least for two years. 



