TFIK OLIVE IN PALERMO. 677 



pumped by hand or animal power. This is, however, an insignificant 

 item. The general method of irrigation seems to be to dig ditches close 

 to and parallel with the lines of trees and connect these with cross canals 

 in such a manner that the drainage of the land can be held in the ditches 

 to be used when needed, or conveyed away in case of superabundance. 



In the case of terraced hills or undulatory land the intervening basins 

 are often necessary to an intelligent control of the rain-fall. These 

 basins, as well as the main aqueducts are, in this country, built of 

 stone or cement, and in this equable climate endure for centuries. As 

 the olive suffers from too much moisture to as great an extent as from 

 too little, careful cultivators protect the roots of their trees in the au- 

 tumn from an excess of the cold rains of winter with as much care as 

 they take to provide them with water during the dry months of summer. 



Cultivation. After an olive grove is fairly started the annual labor 

 involved in its cultivation is as follows: 



In autumn, in those tocalities where severe cold is apprehended, the 

 earth is built up and solidly packed around the trees to prevent a too 

 ready access of the chilling waters of winter to the roots. When no 

 frosts are feared and the season is dry, the soil on the contrary is loos- 

 ened about the roots to facilitate the entry of moisture. 



In winter or early spring the earth is turned up as deeply as possible, 

 in this country, with the spade. 



In summer a superficial digging takes place to destroy the weeds. 



In September the ditches and reservoirs are cleaned and opened to 

 allow the winter rains to pass out. 



The deep digging at the end of winter is to facilitate the absorption 

 of the spring rains to as great a depth as possible. The superficial 

 summer digging, besides destroying the weeds, breaks the continuity 

 of the soil, the loose upper stratum acting as a blanket preventing the 

 dispersion and evaporation of moisture from the lower depths. 



In addition to this is the fertilization of trees in old and exhausted 

 ground. 



Pruning. The olive, like the peach, bears fruit on the second year's 

 growth ; that is to say, the growth of one year bears the fruit of the 

 next. The branches extend themselves from year to year, but the part 

 thereof which has once borne fruit, never blooms again. In the absence 

 of pruning these branches grow in length from year to year until they 

 finally cease 5 the shooting out of collateral branches is very slow and 

 the fruitage of the tree insignificant. By improper or irregular pruning 

 the fruitage of a tree may be seriously diminished or even temporarily 

 destroyed. By pruning the form and extent of the tree are controlled. 



To constitute a healthy tree, the amount of upper growth should be 

 proportioned to the development of the roots and will constantly vary 

 with the age and vigor of each individual tree. Olive trees should be 

 pruned annually, in the spring. The most desirable form is the reversed 

 cone, the branches spreading more and more as the top is approached. 



