THE OLIVE IN TUSCANY. (189 



Olive trees arc generally reproduced from ligneous excrescences of 

 the stock or roots, iu the form of a half an egg, from which they are called 

 uovoli, cut in the spring, placed in holes made in a plowed soil, covered 

 with fine earth and watered according to the exigencies of the season. 

 The uovolo sends forth shoots, the most robust of which are brought up, 

 and in the third year of their existence may be planted. The repro- 

 duction by seed is not exclusive, however. Small plants are cared for 

 in a nursery and grafted on in the third year, and in the fourth are 

 transplanted. Olive trees are planted in square ditches of over 2 meters 

 (6 feet 5J inches) and at a depth of about 1 meter (3 feet 3 inches), 

 with, proper arrangement for drainage. 



Olive trees commence to bear one year after being planted, and farm- 

 ers anticipate the amount and increase of the crop from the date thereof, 

 relying upon the Tuscan sayings, viz: 



Se mignola d? Aprile, vacci col barile (bearing in April, look for a bar- 

 relfnl ; abundant crop)* 



Se mignola di Maggio, vacci col saggio (bearing in May, hope for the 

 best ; scarce crop). 



Se mignolidi Giugno, vacci colpugno (bearing in June, expect a hand- 

 ful ; poor crop) ; which are confirmed by the following : 



La prima oliva e oro (the first olive is gold). 



La seconda argento (the second is silver). 



La terza val niente (the third is of no value). 



That is to say that the tree precocious in its bearing produces best; 

 less sure are those flourishing later, and the produce of those bearing 

 last is of little or no value. 



In well-disposed orchards olive trees are planted at a distance of from 

 4 to 6 meters (13 to 19 feet 4 inches) one from the other. The number 

 of trees is generally from 400 to 600 per hectare (2J acres). 



Pruning in the best-conducted orchards consists in well clearing out 

 the center of the tree in order that all the branches bearing may have 

 plenty of light, sun, and air. The trees are pruned every two or three 

 years. Any dying or dead branches are taken off as soon as noticed. 

 Every year the soil is turned with the spade and every other year ma- 

 nured. It is thought by scientists that pruning is carried to too great 

 an extent. Columella, the ancient agriculturist ,who greatly advanced 

 oil culture, says of this plant that " the plowing of ground is a re- 

 quest, the manuring is a prayer, and the pruning is an order to produce 

 fruit." 



The best orchards in the Lucchese may produce each two years 180 

 hectoliters (510 bushels) of olives per hectare (2J acres), from which 

 quantity there can be had 2J60 kilograms of oil (4,761.33 pounds), or 

 about 24J hectoliters (646 gallons). 



It is calculated that one hectoliter (2.83 bushels) of olives gives 12 

 kilograms of oil (26J pounds), and Domenico Capponi, in his treatise on 

 olive oils, considers fairly remunerative the production of from 10 to 15 

 kilograms (22 to 33 pounds) per hectoliter of olives (2.83 bushels). 



