PRUNING OLIVE TREES. 



29 



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the 



Fig. 7. — Sketch 



proper form to give in pruning 

 a three-year-old olive tree. 

 The dotted lines indicate the 

 branches that are removed. 

 (After Minangoin.) 



branches below it are allowed to develop, all branches farther down 

 the stem being suppressed (fig. 7) . It is said that bearing commences 

 on an average two years earlier when the terminal shoot is removed 

 than when it is allowed to remain. The 

 removal of the apex of the stem causes 

 the four branches that are left just below 

 it to ascend obliquely instead of spread- 

 ing horizontally. The year following 

 the tips of these four branches are in 

 turn removed and all but one of their 

 lateral twigs are cut back (fig. 8) . Dur- 

 ing the fifth year new twigs begin to 

 shoot out from the buds on the stumps 

 (fig. 9) and the young tree begins to 

 assume definite form. 



The pruning is directed so as to secure 

 a symmetrical, well-rounded top (PL 

 I and PI. IV, fig. 2) with the leading 

 branches at regular intervals and rather 

 far apart. Care is taken to prevent the 

 tree from becoming so tall as to make 



harvesting difficult, the ideal being a height that equals the spread of 

 the foliage. The inner branches are kept well thinned out, so as to in- 

 sure the access of as much light as 

 possible to all the fruit-bearing 

 twigs. The rapidly growing erect 

 shoots, which absorb much of the 

 sap of the tree and bear little or no 

 fruit, are removed, except those that 

 are destined to become the main 

 branches. Branches growing in a 

 horizontal direction or inclined to 

 droop at the end are favored. The 

 yield largely depends upon the 

 attention given to these points. The 

 superiority in size of trees and the 

 greater magnitude and regularity of 

 yield shown by the Sfax orchards as 

 compared with those of other parts 

 of Tunis are largely attributed to the 

 care with which the pruning is done. 

 When the trees begin to bear, biennial pruning is generally sub- 

 stituted for annual, and the operation is usually performed imme- 

 diately after the harvest, in January or February. On some plan- 



125 



Fig. 8. — The tree shown in figure 7 as 

 pruned when four years old. (After 

 Minangoin.) 



