638 FRUIT CULTURE IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES. 



is drawn to the nourishment of the fruit, and hence the number of young 

 sprouts is restricted and the ability of fructification for the following 

 year. Hence, also, it will be understood that one object of pruning must 

 be to favor the birth of the young lateral shoots, either by arresting the 

 terminal development or suppressing the smaller branches. The small 

 and more perpendicular branches are more abundant, but the horizontal 

 or hanging ones are the most productive. The skilled cultivator directs^ 

 the pruning of his plantation in such a manner that one-half of it fructi- 

 fies one year and the other half the next year. 



The height of the tree here averages about 21 feet, yet there are trees 

 in the neighborhood 56 feet in height and at the base 22 feet in circum- 

 ference. Neither Greece nor Palestine could boast such trees. 



Fertilizers. — The fertilizers devoted to this tree are numerous. These 

 may consist of its leaves, unutilized otherwise, residues of its oil, oil- 

 cakes, and the refuse of animals, the i-efnse of skins, horns, feathers, 

 woolen rags, and guano. Those decomposing slowly, as horns, rags, 

 etc., are applied in autumn, in the spring those dissolving l^ess slowly. 

 At the period of fruitage strong manures are used which act immedi- 

 ately. The manure is placed away from the trunk and over the ab- 

 sorbent mouths of the extremities of the roots. It is usually disposed 

 here in a ditch about 2 feet deep, encompassing the tree, and then buried. 

 Slight but frequent applications are best, but it is usually practiced 

 only once a year. 



Grafting. — The usual methods of grafting can be applied to the olive. 

 The following, however, are used in this district: (1) The "eye-bud" or 

 "ring" graft, the latter being a variety of the former; (2) the cleft graft, 

 preferred in Nice. 



In nursei-ies the eye-bud is practiced, but the cleft only on older trees 

 in the field. Cultivated and wild olives both are grafted. 



To make an eye-bud graft, a furrow in the form of a T is cut through 

 the bark of the trunk to be grafted, and in this a bud from a cultivated 

 olive is inserted by raising the corners of the middle of said T ; the graft 

 is then plastered with mud and covered with a rag, fastened with twine. 



The cleft graft is formed from shoots or cuttings iustead of buds. The 

 branch to be grafted is cut squarely off and the stump split by the knife. 

 Into the cleft one or more shoots, previously sharpened in wedge shape, 

 are then inserted, care being taken that the bark of each shoot adheres 

 to the incision; the interstices are then filled with paper or fine straw, 

 and the place grafted is covered with moist clay and bound with a bit 

 of cloth. 



The grafts will not produce the olive until three > oars, and do not 

 attain their full yield until nine years after grafting. From said period 

 ii, tree 1 foot in diameter will produce, on an average, 34 pounds; a tree 

 of 2 feet, 112 pounds; and one of 3 feet, 200 pounds of olives per annum. 



Albert N. Hathaway, 



Unite© States Consulate, Gomul. 



Nice, March 25, 1889. 



