OIJVK CUI/IIJRE IN SPAIN. 707 



thority ou fruifc culture, gives the result of his experiments as more 

 favorable still. According to him, 100 kilograms of well-rotted mauure 

 applied as above directed increased the product of each tree the first 

 year by 2.50 kilograms, the second year by 3 kilograms, and the third 

 year by 2 kilograms, giving for the three years a total increase of 7.50 

 kilograms. Irrigation is advisable only in dry districts or in times of 

 drought; in ordinary years and in places where there is a moderate rain- 

 fall the grown trees thrive very well without it. Latitude does not fur- 

 nish any secure guidance as to the benefit conferred by irrigation, and, 

 as a matter of fact, the practice is more common in the north and center 

 than in Andalusia. It must be borne in mind that irrigation has a tend- 

 LMR-y to impoverish the soil (by washing away the mineral constituents); 

 hence, whenever it is practiced, manuring must go along with it pari 

 passu. In Saragossa irrigation is much practiced, and so is manuring, 

 whilst in Seville there is very little of either one or the other. If the 

 orchards are properly and deeply plowed, two or three irrigations each 

 year will be found sufQcieut. When, from the direction of the wind or 

 other signs, there is apprehension of a very severe frost, copious irriga- 

 tion will often preserve the trees from injury, as the evaporation from 

 the soil has a tendency to mitigate the effects of a sudden lowering of 

 temperature. 



Pruning and ringing. — Pruning olive trees is by many growers con- 

 sidered as the most delicate operation connected with olive culture, 

 as well as the one upon which the prosperity of the orchard most de- 

 pends. Independently of removing withered or injured branches, the 

 purposes of pruning are the following : 



(1) The removal of the secondary and tertiary branches that only 

 bear weak and sterile twigs, thus making room for the development of 

 more healthj' and vigorous ones. 



(2) The elimination of superfluous primary limbs when they obstruct 

 ventilation and light. 



(3) The general thinning out of the branches of certain varieties that 

 have a tendeuc;^to extreme luxuriancy and to the intertwining of limbs. 



(4) The correction of the habit of producing very long vertical shoots 

 (which are usually sterile), thereby favoring the forming ot lateral 

 bearing twii^s. 



For the cutting of larger limbs the following directions are given: 

 Let the limb be sawn off even with the trunk, taking great care not 

 to damage the edges of the bark, as it is those edges which are eventu- 

 ally to grow over and cover up the wound. In order to facilitate this 

 healing process, the exposed part of the wood is made slightly con- 

 cave, using a scoop-shaped chisel for ths purpose ; the wound is then 

 plastered with a salve made of wet clay and cow-dung, which should be 

 applied with a brush. It is \ery important that this work be well and 

 neatly done, leaving no protruding splinters or irregular surfaces. Tlie 

 smallt-r braTicli<\s may be i-iit with the hatchet, alwiiys taking gn-atcare 



