70 THE OLIVE 



mulation of which, at the shoots placed in the crown wouki be harm- 

 ful. At Grasse, these branches are called des respiralls, and are 

 cut off or 2:rafted the foUowins: year. 



In Bouche-du-Rhone, shield grafting is the most common ; it is 

 now as in the time of Columella, greffe a rempaire. 



Grafting on very yonng trees, is rarely profitable, not from 

 any difficulty in the process, but because, as the roots require a 

 long time to take hold of the soil, an abnormal disturbance of the 

 sap occurs, and the tree sometimes makes a stunted growth. 



The Abbe Jamet savs : — *^I never o'raft before the sixth vear. At 

 "^ the time of gathering, I accompany the man in charge. I examine 

 ^'the trees, and mark those, of which the shape, the barrenness, or 

 " the variety does not suit me. The vear foUowino- fifteen or twenty 

 '' days after flowering, I place two shields upon each of the branches 

 " forming the head of the tree. Above the graft, I girdle the 

 '^ branch, and* take off the bark. The object of this gird- 

 ''ling is to stop the ascending sap, and to bring it to the 

 shoot aud facilitate its startiuo-. 



The branch above the uraft mav be left one or two vears. accord- 

 ing to the vigor of the subject. Its leaves aud shade will be bene- 

 ficial to the o'raft. 



The best time for winter pruning is that which follows frosty 

 weather, and which precedes the first movement of vegetation. By 

 early pruning, the sap is made to act upon the buds unfavorably sit- 

 uated upon the tree, it Ijrings them out, and also devtlopes latent 

 buds upon the old wood. Thus, by early pruning, it is possible 

 to prevent the tree being covered with naked stems. It may be ad- 

 vantageous to wait even to the period when the shoots begin to 

 lengthen upon trees that jiossess too much vigor, and which would 

 not otherwise be easily luit into a fruit bearino; condition. 



Graftino; in wet weather is to be avoided, as the tree is likelv to 

 run, a fine day in spring is the best. The new shoots are not gen- 

 erally touched until the year following the lopping of the branch 



