650 FRUIT CULTURE IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES. 



When a grower is to transplant young trees from the reservoir to final 

 stay it is necessary for him to establish a plan, and decide whether he 

 wants to exclusively form an olive grove or together with plants of 

 other fruits. 



The disposing of planting in different manners is subordinated more 

 to the inclination of the laud than to the grower's faculty. The land 

 may be too hilly or too flat. In the first case, it is better to plant all 

 the land exclusively in olive groves, and in rows for the reason that dis- 

 posing them with plants of other fruits between they would yield less 

 fruit, besides rain-fall on hilly soil washes out the necessary elements 

 of their growth, and the roots of the other plants would always be 

 exposed. 



The several dispositions to be given to olive trees, and the inclination 

 of the land, determine the distance apart between the trees. If a cer- 

 tain area of land is. desired to be exclusively cultivated in an olive 

 grove, the distance apart between the plants is to be such that, in the 

 spring equinox, a plant must not shade the one standing by in the di- 

 rection from south to north. For that purpose a distance of 16 feet 

 apart is sufficient. In a very rich soil, however, where the plant can 

 grow very large, this distance must be doubled, 32 feet. 



The inclination of the land for the grove properly adapted to the cul- 

 tivation must be running from north to south, for the reason that if ex- 

 posed to north entirely the culture would be retarded by cold weather. 



Disposing the plants in rows, however, with the object of locating 

 plants of other fruits between, the distance amongst rows must be 32 

 feet and 22 feet between plants of the same row. 



The best disposition to be given trees is the hexagonal one, as shown 

 in Fig. 25, for the reason that if it runs from south to east the plants 

 will be in a position quite open to the sun and will vegetate and grow 

 well. 



The proper time of transplanting from the reservoir to final location 

 is the month of July or August, when ditches, either round or square, 

 of 4 feet wide by 3 deep, will be dug for planting the young trees taken 

 from the reservoir on hilly or rolling land. If the ground is flat, the 

 ditches must be no deeper than 8 inches, and if on inclining soil 16 

 inches deep. This done, throw therein some filling of old plaster or 

 old mortar with some stratum of good earth, wherein place the tree 

 with the roots well scattered around the base ; cover the same with some 

 earth again, manure over it, and some wheat husk or hashed straw to 

 keep the soil fresh during the summer and to nourish at the same time 

 the tender roots. Shake the trunk a little, so as to allow the ground to 

 be well settled between the roots so that they will be easily rooting. 

 After this operation has been done, cover carefully the ditches with the 

 same ground removed therefrom. On the upper side near the plant 

 form a sort of a little basiu ? so as to hold the rain-water to water the 

 same, 



