69 



can be taken off without water, witli fresh water, and with hot water, according 

 to the quality of oil desired ; but of this matter I shall speak another time, 

 if necessary. 



To manure the Olive in those soils which are deficient in lime, sulphur, 

 and soda, a strong animal manure must be used ; and the best of all manures 

 are those of sheep, pigeons, or poultry, or soot and ashes, mixed with horse- 

 dung ; or refuse fat, or scraps of leather in urine, mixed with stockyard 

 manure. To mature this manure, a tank should be sunk, cemented so as to 

 hold urine and water, into which should be put all the substances above- 

 mentioned, and let all ferment together. Every two or three months, the 

 fermentation could be increased by turning over the contents. When it is a 

 year old, apply it to the trees, turuing it quickly underground with the hoe, 

 so that the moisture can penetrate to the roots of the tree, and evaporation 

 be prevented. 



The short space of a letter does not admit of full explanations ; but I 

 hope I have made myself sufficiently understood, always begging you to 

 remember that my acquaintance with your language is imperfect. My ser- 

 vices are always at the disposal of your Society ; and I can inform you, that 

 next month I am expecting from Italy several kinds of Olive trees, and fruits 

 and vines of different species, which I intend testing on land of my own. 

 * * 4 * # * * * 



Yours respectfully, 



EUGENIO RICCI. 



Lewis A. Bernays, Esquire. 



APPENDIX III. (See page 25.) 



Extract from letter from the Hon. Samuel Davenport, dated Adelaide, 23rd 



May, 1872. 



The seedlings now sent will be readily budded or grafted underground. 

 After having grown two years with you, or even three, and from a strong 

 stock, which, by that time, should have formed, you would in two years more 

 ' have a well-shaped tree. The truncheons sent you in September next, should 

 have sprouted within nine or ten months after being bedded, and over the 

 next year the growth is rapid, till (as with me) a two or three year old 

 truncheon shoot becomes a tree four to six feet high, with an inch or two 

 inch diameter stem, according to kind, and can readily give grafts and buds 

 for a large amount of seedlings. 



I here graft seedlings of five or six years old with easy success, only this 

 is not so good as grafting on two or three year old plants, if for no other 

 cause than that the volume of sap in the larger older plant is too excessive 

 for a graft, and consequently you are subsequently troubled with having to 

 rub off numerous bark shoots and root suckers pushed out by the old tree. 



The grafting I find best is underground, to be heaped up after binding 

 air and water tight with unbleached calico strip, drawn through mixed mutton 

 fat and beeswax and then cooled, so that two eyes of the graft only remain 

 above the ground. 



With us the dry heat of direct sun's rays will peel off the bark of the 

 old plant below the graft if exposed above ground, and only the graft, if any, 

 on the shady side will survive, The style of grafting is crown. The graft is 

 cut slantingly from beneath a bud, and so as not to leave any ragged or torn 



