676 FRUIT CULTURE IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES. 



strong sea winds, charged with salt, are found to be very injarious, 

 while in other parts with different exposure the wind most dreaded is 

 the hot dry sirocco, blowing from the southeast. 



Soil, etc. — Latitude appears to govern the character of the ground. 

 For instance, in latitude 30° an inclination of 30° would be indicated 

 in the land. Open, rolling ground seems preferable as allowing a free 

 subterranean circulation and the escape of excessive moisture. 



It is not true, as sometimes asserted, that the olive prefers the poorest 

 soil. Where the earth is too sandy, and, in some conditions, wliere f oo 

 hard, the trees suffer from lack of moisture, they grow slowly and 

 with diflBculty, and in elevated positions, in the absence of profuse 

 rains and perennial moisture, the foliage is scanty, fruit ripens too 

 rapidly, without full development, much of it withering half formed. 



The most favorable is a loose mellow soil of moderate humidity. An 

 open subsoil is preferable to clay, as the latter ia winter seasons is apt 

 to retain too much moisture and unduly chill the trees at the time when 

 vegetable life is most feeble. 



Temperature. — It is difldcult to state the exact limits of temperature 

 within which the olive will grow and flourish, as so many other condi- 

 tions enter into the question, but a uniform temperate climate seems to 

 be absolutely essential to its well being. In favorable localities the 

 tree commences to vegetate in March, when the mean temperature of 

 the air has reached 10.50° to 11° centigrade (50.9° to 51.8° Fahren- 

 heit). The fruit buds commence to form, generally, in April, at a tem- 

 perature of 15° centigrade (59° Fahrenheit). The tree blooms in May, 

 when the mean temperature has attained 18° or 19° centigrade (64.4° 

 to 66.2° Fahrenheit). In the beginning of June the fruit commences 

 to form, under the influence of a mean temperature of 21° to 22° centi- 

 grade (69.8° to 71.6° Fahrenheit). The fruit attains its growth early 

 in July and reaches maturity in October. 



The mean temperature in Palermo (a locality favorable to the olive), 

 as recorded for the nine years from 1866 to 1874 inclusive, was 18° cen- 

 tigrade (64.4° Fahrenheit). The maximum temperature during that 

 time being 40.4° centigrade (104.72° Fahrenheit) and the minimum 2° 

 centigrade (28.4° Fahrenheit). 



The lowest winter temperature which the olive tree can support is 7° 

 to 8° centigrade 17.6° to (19.4° Fahrenheit), and this not prolonged 

 beyond eight or ten days. 



In various parts of Italy where, during occasional hard winters, the 

 mercury has fallen below this point, for two or three days only, the mor- 

 tality among olive trees has been very great. 



There seems to be no regular method of irrigation in existence here, 

 no governmental supervision, and no co-operation of different proprietors 

 obtaining, Each grower seeks, apparently, to utilize to the best advan- 

 tage the rain-fall on his own property. Where this is scanty it is some- 

 times supplemented by the sinking of wells from which the water is 



