668 FRUIT CULTURE IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES. 



groves are not irrigated in the province of Genoa; the soil is generally 

 considered strong enough to retain moisture a long time,, even in the 

 dryest seasons. Young plants are watered, however, in the summer, 

 but great caution is practiced in this work, for too much moisture in- 

 jures the roots and then comes the "lupa" plague. Throughout this 

 entire province the olive orchards are all on the sea-coast ; they extend 

 inland but a short distance. You can find inland places, however, 

 where olives would bear well; that is to say, in situations where the 

 temperature undergoes no serious change. 



The price of olive oil varies according to the quality and quantity of 

 the crop. For same reason the average annual yield can not be given. 

 On these points I particularly inquired, but failed to obtain satisfac- 

 tory answer. 



Cost of cultivation. Answer 5 and 6 give possible yield under ordi- 

 nary conditions, so I pass to the cost of cultivating olive groves. The 

 work is divided into two parts each year, first, plowing so-called flat 

 lands and hoeing hill-side orchards; second, clearing the ground of 

 weeds. 



The following statistics were given me by a gentleman experienced 

 in olive culture, and while his statements may not be as clear as de- 

 sired I can not do better than give them as narrated : 



One day's plowing costs 11 francs ($1. 90), and two days with the plow 

 is sufficient for a hectare of land (2. 471 acres). Where the plow can not 

 touch on account of the trees, a hoe is used. As there are about 120 

 trees in a hectare of land 10 men at least are needed for such work, at 

 2 francs (38 cents) per day. Now as to manuring groves. The trees 

 should be mulched once in every three years. Experience has taught 

 that the best way was to manure one-third of the orchard this year, one- 

 third next year, and so on. The compost for a tree which yields, say, 

 10 liters of oil (about 2 gallons) costs about 67 cents; at this rate the 

 manure for an orchard of 120 trees will cost a fraction over $80. Con- 

 sider then a workman's labor at mulching, 20 days, at 38 cents per day ; 

 clearing weeds 8 days at same wages, then pruning, plowing, etc., and 

 you have incurred an average expense on each tree of 80 cents. In fine, 

 you realize about $190 from a hectare of olive trees, and it costs you one- 

 half that sum to care for the land. From the other half you must pay 

 Government, provincial, and communal taxes, which are no small items. 



Rain- fall. The result of meteorological observations for the last ten 

 years in the province of Genoa shows that about 48 inches of water had 

 fallen each year (almost incredible, but substantially vouched for). It 

 was much less on the oriental coast, and fully one- third less on the 

 western coast. 



EXPORTS AND IMPORTS OF OLIVE OIL. 



Strange as the item may appear, it will be seen in the table that 

 28,358 kilograms otpure olive oil was imported into Genoa from the 

 United States and Canada during the year 1883 : 



