34 STATE BOARD OF HORTICULTURE. 



not look at the tree of to-day or to-morrow, but at the tree of ten 

 years hence. All branches to the height of five to five and a 

 half feet should be removed, so as to admit of close cultivating 

 by horses. Trees planted at the distance of twenty feet and 

 well kept, will in ten years touch each other. When this con- 

 dition is reached they will be in full bearing and therefore will 

 require constant pruning or cutting back. It is much easier 

 and less expensive to gather the fruit from small trees; besides, 

 if the pruning is intelligently done it will improve the fruit 

 and secure a greater quantity to the acre than can be produced 

 under any other conditions." 



Olive orchard scene, showing Mr. Cooper's present method of pruning. 



Circumstances often revolutionize ideas and change methods; 

 he now says: * '* I have changed my method of pruning within 

 the past two or three years; formerly I pruned very heavily. 

 The olive tree grows so rapidly on my place that if I did not 

 prune heavily I would have no tree; but since the State Board 

 of Horticulture and the fruit men of California have interested 

 themselves in parasitic insects, and have sent Professor Koebele 

 on the two voyages to Australia to look for parasitic insects to 

 keep the black scale in check, I find the pruning will have to 

 undergo a very great change. In order to insure the rapid 



*Hon. Ellwood Cooper, Report of Third Olive-Growers' Convention (1893), 

 pp. 30-31. 



