652 FRUIT CULTURE IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES. 



years' time, for the reason tliat said sprouts in the first year bear no 

 fruit but simply develop and bud fruiting gems, in the second year, 

 when they will grow larger for blossoming, setting, and fruiting. 



(2) The blossoms do not set neither produce fruit if not exposed to the 

 sun rays during the longest part of the day. This fact must not be neg- 

 lected by the pruner when he applies his pruning-knife, if he wants to 

 gather the fruit. He must always prune so as to let the fruiting 

 branches be exposed to the sun so that its rays will penetrate through 

 the plants, as those thickly loaded with branches and leaves not pruned 

 as above stated, bear less fruit than the former. 



It is necessary for growers to keep those facts in mind, if they would 

 succeed in this culture. 



(3) The horizontal and bending down branches produce a great many 

 fruit, while the vertical ones bear none. The pruner must consequently 

 turn bis attention to raise the plants as above stated, and not in a ver- 

 tical shape. 



(4) When a plant has a great number of bearing branches, the fruit 

 will naturally be small, yield less oil, and the crops will be biennial. 

 To avoid this the smart jiruner should simply leave a certain number of 

 the most vigorous branches sufficient enough so as not to force tbte 

 plants, for by so doing they will render larger olives and more oil every 

 year. 



(5) The olive trees being of so many varieties they consequently re- 

 quire different treatment. To keep in mind the several varieties of 

 olive plants while the pruning is going on, it must be indispensable for 

 the pruner to know that there are some branches tending to grow up 

 straight, while others incline downward. 



In the first case the former are not to be forced to grow low in a close 

 shape, but simply prune them yearly, and try to prevent them from 

 growing too high, and allow them to retain all the lateral branches ex- 

 cept the dried and faded ones. 



(G) The olive plant, according to the ground, its exposure, and the 

 height where it is located, vegetates and bears fruit differently. The 

 quality of the soil has a certain noted influence on the vegetation of the 

 olive tree. If the soil is argillaceous and too rich of vegetal and fer- 

 tilizing matter, then little pruning is to be done, for the reason that 

 the quantity of strength the plant draws therefrom permits it to main- 

 tain a large number of branches. If, on the other hand, the soil is poor, 

 thatisloose siliceous cahiaroous, then itis necessary tocut many branches 

 off, for the reason that the little sap the plant draws from the soil is uot 

 snfflcient to noiiiish many of them. 



(7) The plants must be divided into three categories, according to 

 where they are locateil : (a) All the plants on argillaceous rich soil of 

 the warm zone; (b) all the plants on calcareous soil of the middle tem- 

 perate zone; (c) all the plants on the poor siliceous soil of the high 

 cold zone. 



