630 FRUIT CULTURE IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES. 



Diseases. The diseases of the olive tree are few in number and sel- 

 dom fatal to the tree. The most common are : The " rnofeV or u noir," 

 which covers the bark and leaves with a sort of black matter that is 

 sometimes friable, sometimes compact. The origin and causes of the 

 disease are not well known. It is counteracted by a sprinkling of lime 

 and water and by a pruning, more extensive than usual, so as to let 

 the black deposit be freely swept off by the wind. The "monffe" is 

 produced by an excess of wetness, that decays the sap. When the vege- 

 tation is staid and the leaves turn yellow, the roots and branches at- 

 tacked must be cut off, as also those parts of the stem where the rotten 

 sap, known by its stench and black color, has found its way, and drain- 

 ing trenches should be established without delay. 



Insect pests. Olive trees planted near the sea- shore are sometimes 

 covered with a coat of green moss, that is not in itself injurious to the 

 tree. Large numbers of microscopic insects live in that moss, but do 

 not seem to hurt the tree ; so that nothing is done to remove them. 



Cochineals are, among the parasitic insects that live on the sap of the 

 olive tree, the most common and most dangerous; they are driven away 

 by rubbing the boughs and branches with a piece of cloth soaked in 

 vinegar or whiting. 



No remedy has yet been found to protect the olive orchards against 

 their worst enemy, an insect called the Dacus olea. It is a species of 

 fly that deposits its eggs in the fruit. The larvae feed on the pulp of the 

 olive before it comes to maturity; when they make their exit they fre- 

 quently cut the peduncle of the fruit, which falls to the ground. When 

 the olive remains on the tree the produce in oil is considerably impaired 

 both in quality and quantity. The damage made by the " ver" (worm), 

 as the Dacus olea is commonly called, has been particularly great in 

 jhe last two or three years. 



J. S. MARTIN, JR., 



UNITED SPATES CONSULATE, Vice-Consul. 



Marseilles, Match 11, 1884. 



NICE. 



i 



(REPORT BY CONSUL HATHAWAY, OF NICE.) 



Introductory. I have the honor to submit the following report on the 

 olive, as it has come under my observation within the district of this 

 consulate, accompanied by some statistical data relating to its products, 

 and accurate directions, obtained by diligent inquiry from reliable 

 sources, for its successful cultivation. 



This tree, of the family Oleacece, which is a feature of the remotest 

 historic landscapes, finds its natural home in the portions of southern 

 Europe bordering immediately upon the Mediterranean basin. Here, 

 restrained only by the choice of man auij. the limitations of soil and 



