666 FRUIT CULTURE IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES. 



only one year, and has this disadvantage, it develops more leaves on 

 the tree and rank vegetation than it does fruit. The trees must be kept 

 clean, that is, free from sprouts and weeds; standing water must not 

 be allowed around them, for in such case the wood will soon rot and be 

 a subject for a malady called "lupa," which very much shortens the 

 life of the tree. 



Olive Begina, or queen olive, known in this province under the name 

 of Olive of Spain, is a special quality grown from the imported tree cul- 

 tivated for special purposes. The fruit, however, contains but little oil, 

 and that little has to be extracted before using the olive for culinary 

 purposes. 



Production.— If olive trees are well cared for they generally give 

 abundant fruit when they attain the age of thirty years, and even long 

 after this age they increase if properly handled. An olive tree is liable 

 to live for centuries if not destroyed by the " lupa." 



The production of the olive depends on the care taken in its cultiva- 

 tion, and much on the weather, for, be it understood, the fruit is ex- 

 posed nearly the entire year, before maturity, to all atmospheric changes. 

 The yield therefore depends largely on the meteorological vicissitudes 

 of the seasons, and for this reason the exact figures can not be given. 

 This much, however, can be said, an olive tree between twenty-five and 

 thirty years old will produce about 3 gallons of oil. 



A hectare of land (=2.471 acres), in fine, if properly cultivated, ought 

 to iiroduce about 300 gallons of oil. The same measurement of land will 

 produce better results providing the conformation of the soil permits the 

 trees to be set closer than 12 meters, or about 40 feet, apart. The olive 

 crop cau be considered only from a biennial stand-point, and the above 

 is the average for two years. 



The relation between the weight of olives and the quantity of oil is 

 not constant in all crops, nor equal on all lands, for this reason : On 

 flat lands and in places where rains are frequent less oil and more water 

 exists in the fruit ; on the other hand, if the grove is on the hill-side the 

 proportion is as one to four, or one gallon of oil from four gallons of 

 fruit. 



The distance between trees on lands exclusively devoted to olives 

 should be about 50 feet — if on flat land and in orchards — on hill-sides 39 

 feet, or even less — always less on pedente or abrupt inclinations. Flats 

 are especially prepared on hilly lands, and so arranged that the roots of 

 one tree can not run down and interfere with those of another. In other 

 words, the roots of trees are limited to certain spat'o by the erection of 

 stone walls, and when thus arranged the olive plant will flourish at ;i 

 distance of only 30 feet apart from its neighbor. 



Pickling. — For pickling purposes olives are gathered before they 

 change froiu green to a reddish color. The faiutish tinge from the 

 original green indicates incipient ripeness. For pickling, olives are 

 usually gathered toward tlie close of August. The olive must be fully 



