202 HORTICULTURE FOR SCHOOLS 



in the late fall, they may be frosted at that time in unfavor- 

 able localities. In general, the olive requires a dry warm 

 climate. 



Olives are grown for pickling and for their oil. They are 

 pickled either green or ripe. Certain varieties are better 

 adapted than others for making the green pickles. The 

 olives are picked from the tree by hand, soaked in lye solu- 

 tions to remove their extreme bitterness, washed in water, 

 and then immersed in salt solutions. Pickled olives are now 

 put through a process by which they are heated to a high 

 temperature under pressure, to destroy any injurious bacteria 

 that may be present. Olive oil is secured by pressing the 

 ripe olives. The oil which is obtained first is best in quality. 



THE FIG 



296. The fig, a native of the Persian Gulf region, has 

 found a congenial home in the warmer parts of the United 

 States. It is grown in the bush form where freezing is likely 

 to occur, otherwise the tree form is preferred. Although the 

 fig tree is adapted to a great diversity of land, heavy soils, 

 retentive of moisture but well-drained, are best. Nematodes 

 (a kind of small worm) are less likely to prove troublesome 

 than in light sandy soils. The fig tree suffers greatly from lack 

 of drainage and should not be planted in water-logged land. 

 As fig trees are shallow-rooted, care in cultivation is necessary 

 to prevent injury to the roots. 



The fruit of the fig consists of an enlarged fleshy hollow 

 receptacle, having its flowers on the inner surface. Figs 

 possess three kinds of flowers: namely, pistillate, staminate, 

 and gall flowers. Pistillate (female) flowers are, as a rule, 

 the only ones present in the edible varieties. Staminate and 

 gall flowers are found in the wild or caprifigs. The latter are 

 really pistillate flowers modified to suit the needs of the fig 

 wasps in laying the eggs and hatching their young. Most 

 varieties do not require cross-pollination in order to produce 



