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recommend the planting of the olive over the entire area of the State in 

 the foothill land, possibly to an elevation of 3,000 feet or more. The 

 tree may be acclimated to a high elevation, as we well know that in 

 Syria the olive is oftentimes picked when the snow is two or three feet 

 deep and has to be trampled down with the foot before the olives can be 

 picked. There they use them not as we do. They do not pickle them 

 as we do, but they dry them, in many cases putting a little salt with 

 them. And now in this State the experiment is being made in many 

 places of drying the olive, to be used as a table fruit, the same as raisins 

 are used. It is a very strong fruit. AVhen dried the bitterness leaves it 

 to a great extent. I may say that when the fruit is taken from the tree 

 ripe, or even green, it is as bitter as the gall of bitterness and the bond 

 of iniquity. This bitterness nearly all leaves it when dried, and it is all 

 taken out by the process of pickling. That process has been well 

 explained by Mr. Lelong, in, I think, last year's published report of the 

 olive convention, in a very elaborate essay, which takes up not only the 

 pickling of the olive but the packing in boxes and other processes of 

 treating the fruit. I would recommend to every one to apply to the 

 rooms of the State Board of Horticulture for copies of that publication. 

 It is exceedingly interesting. It also contains essays from one or two 

 previous reports, referring to the medicinal qualities of the olive. In 

 the report for 1889, I think, there are nearly a hundred pages devoted to 

 the olive question. I would recommend every fruit grower who has 

 land adapted to olive culture to procure a copy of these reports and 

 become familiar with the production of the fruit and the market for it. 

 There are few mills in the State. Mr. Ellwood Cooper, President of the 

 State Board of Horticulture, has a large mill, but I think this year he 

 only presses his own olives. And Mr. Goodrich, of Quito farm, of Santa 

 Clara County, has a large mill. 



A Voice: I would like to ask Mr. Kimball if it is safe to put out olive 

 trees in valley land where you have to go fifteen feet to water. 



Mr. Kimball: Entirely safe. Only the tap-root will penetrate to that 

 depth. The roots of the olive tree are largely superficial roots. They 

 must be near the sun to produce the best fruit and the largest amount 

 of oil. 



A Voice: Is it safe to put out trees where you have to go one hun- 

 dred feet to water? 



Mr. Kimball: I think it is safer. But if you have a hardpan soil 

 you must break up the hardpan with dynamite. First drain your soil. 

 If it does not drain naturally it must be drained artificially. 



Mr. Dore: I would like to ask Mr. Kimball with reference to the 

 planting of olives upon land somewhat affected by alkali. 



Mr. Kimball: I have planted olives on land considerably affected by 

 alkali. I commence at the tree and back furrow toward the tree two or 

 three times, say within three or four feet of the tree, and keep back fur- 

 rowing to the center of the line between the two rows of trees, leaving 

 the center that much lower, so that the alkali may be washed off to the 

 lower level. I am not opposed to a reasonable amount of alkali in the 

 production of the olive. Our mesa lands have, in a general way, so much 

 alkali, that when they are irrigated you will often see the alkali come 

 to the surface of the ground. But by plowing the ground in the way 

 I have described the alkali is washed to the lower level and the tree is 

 protected. 



