CALIFORNIA OLIVE CULTURE PROPAGATION. 11 



the coast and in the bay counties) not before June, while in the 

 warm regions as early as March or April. The olives produced 

 from the flowers first expanded are the most certain to reach 

 maturity, the second less, while those of the last are generally 

 lost. The bloom is susceptible to extremes of cold or heat. A 

 continued hot spell, rain, cold, or wind during the blossoming 

 time prevents fecundation. 



The floral symmetry of the olive is very characteristic. The 

 fruit presents variations, the importance of which has been 

 diversely appreciated according to the epoch and the state of 

 science. At the time when external morphology alone was 

 furnishing characters, the fruit, with its different forms, seemed 

 of capital importance. Now it is known that its origin is 

 always the same, that its differences are superficial, and more 

 important and desirable characters are preferably considered. 



Leaf. The leaves of Oleacese are opposite, seldom being 

 alternate, simple or paucifoliate (a few leaflets), pennate 

 (feather-shaped), entire or toothed, always destitute of stipules 

 (appendages at the base of leaves). The leaf is always 

 covered by an epidermis formed of a single layer of cells rich 

 in tannin. 



Fruit. The fruit is a drupe, fleshy, drupaceous (of the form 

 of a drupe) or bacciform (of the form of a berry), indehiscent 

 (not opening spontaneously at maturity); two ovules in each 

 cell, laterally fixed near the summit. Seeds single by abortion, 

 of three ovules, rarely two, in each cell; seed albuminous,, 

 with superior radicle. Inflorescence paniculate, trichotomous 

 (divided in threes), or fasciculate (growing in bunches), with 

 centripetal primary branches, sometimes centrifugal. 



PEOPAGATION. 



From Seed. Propagating olive trees from seed is very 

 tedious, and requires extraordinary care. The pits are quite 

 hard, often requiring from one to two seasons to germinate. The 

 raising of olive plants from seed is the most natural method, 

 and the one producing the most healthy and robust trees, the 



