■52 THE OLIVE 



Different soils retaiii lieat in proportion to their weight ; a pebbly 

 soil retains heat longer than one of fine sand. Chalky and clay 

 soils quickly lose heat ; and, on this account, the former is called an 

 early soil, and the latter a late one. The color of the soil has much 

 to do with the absorbtion of heat. In any given earth there is a 

 difference of fourteen degrees, Fahrenheit, between the extremes of 

 color. 



The ancients thought that the olive would not grow unless it had 

 the sea air, and laid down the rule, that it should not be planted 

 more than ninety miles inland. The Arabic and Latin authors fol- 

 low the same recommendation ; but it has been w^ell established, that 

 the olive can be grown at any distance inland, provided the soil and 

 climate are agreeable to it. Pliny remarks, the olive of the low 

 land is more liable to disease, than that grown on high ground. 



