Muftipfi cation of ffie ©fi*e 



CHAPTEE VI. 



" Quin et condicibus sectis mirabile dictu Truditur e sicco radix oleagina ligno." 



Virgil, Geoegics n, 30.* 



The olive is propagated in many different ways, by seed, by cut- 

 tings, by truncheons, by grafts, by suckers, by knots, by layering, 

 and by pieces of the root. 



SEED. 



The best method, in spite of all that may be urged against it, be- 

 cause the natural one, is the planting of the seed. All others are 

 mere continuations of a life already existing but with each seed is 

 produced, in the manner intended by nature, a new tree. The non- 

 success that has attended many efforts to raise the olive from seed 

 in California, undoubtedly arose from faulty handling. Some go 

 so far as to claim that the Mission olive contains no germ. This is 

 absurd. The Mission olive contains well developed seeds in the 

 same proportion that all others do, A T iz., the poorest olive for oil or 

 pickling is the best for seed. The olive nearest approaching the 

 wild type, the olive that contains the largest seed in proportion to 

 the berry, is the best for planting. One tenth of the stones of the 

 wild olive have a double germ and this is the best of all olives for 

 seed, second the Mignolo, third the Eazzo, Leccino, Puntarolo and 

 Trillo, fourth the Grossajo and fifth the Morajolo. 



* Some cloven stakes, and (wond'rous to behold) their sharpened ends in earth their footing place 

 unci the dry poles produce a living race. 



