612 FRUIT CULTURE IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES. 



Planting and propagating. Distance planted apart, from 21 to 30 feet. 

 Olive trees are propagated by planting, in January or February, to the 

 depth of 2 feet, the suckers that grow at the foot of the mother tree 

 or by planting, like the last, wild shrubs and grafting them. 



Insect pests. No insects infest olive trees. A small kind of worm is 

 sometimes found in the fruit, but no special process of treatment is 

 adopted or known. 



SIDON. 



Varieties. "Belady" for pickling, also "Smuktnuky" for oil. Other 

 kinds cultivated are the " Kolb-el-Tayar n and "Korka-wa-Sisan." 



Situation. Both in the plains and in the mountains near the coast, 

 and up to about 3,000 feet ; sloping and hilly land, red and white 

 clayey soil are best. 



Climate. Bountiful rains benefit olives. 



Irrigation. Not needed. 



Cultivation. Plowing necessary three times in the spring. 



Pruning. Pruning not necessary. 



Picking and curing. For pickling the fruit is picked whileyet unripe ; 

 for oil when fully ripe. For pickling put in salt and water. Olives are 

 crushed by large rolling stones, then put either under heavy pressure 

 or into hot water and the oil skimmed off the surface. 



Maturity. From the sixth year upward. 



Yield Exact yield unknown. 



Planting. About 20 feet, and propagated by budding or grafting. 



Insects. No insect pests. 



ERHARD BISSINGER, 



Consul. 

 UNITED STATES CONSULATE*, 



Beirut, February 12, 1890. 



SIDON. 



REPORT EY CONSULAR AGENT A EEL A. 

 [Republished from Consular Reports, No. 41^.] ^ 



Varieties. Smuc-muky, small berry, little meat, but full of oil. Belady, 

 larger and more meat, and is the best variety. 



Cultivation. Wild olive shoots are planted and then grafted, after 

 which the only care they receive is an occasional plowing, except that 

 the earth is often banked about the trunk to the depth of 10 inches. 

 The young trees are set out at a distance of 20 feet apart. No irriga- 

 tion whatever allowed. 



Bearing. After being planted and grafted the trees soon begin to 

 bear berries, but the growth is very slow and the increase in the amount 

 of fruit very gradual. 



