34 



THE OLIVE 



wounds made by the pruning knife. It both ripens early and 

 resists cold. The tree bears fruit at an early age and in great 

 quantity, and gives a good quality of oil, but it needs water fertil- 

 izers and a loose, rich soil in order to get the best result from it. 



The Verdalier or Verdava, Verdal of Bezier, Verdava of Mont- 

 pettier, Olea verdala of Gouan, Uolea media rotunda 

 verdior of Tournifort, Verdajo of Tablada; 

 Similar to Leccino. 



Tablada says of this olive that in Spain it is generally used for 

 pickling, but that it also gives a good oil and ripens early. It will 

 resist even more cold than the Cornicabra, but is found in all parts 

 of the country. It requires a fertile soil and good cultivation, la- 

 though it will accommodate itself to less favorable circumstances, 

 but remember, in return it will only produce accordingly. It will 

 bear vigorous pruning. 



The Wild Olive. (See Plate II) 



The wild olive has twigs very robust, very long, contorted, rigid, 

 little ramified and with angle at insertion of about eighty degrees. 

 The leaves are obovate and very wide in proportion to length, are 

 pointed, extending in a spine shape. The lower side is not as white 

 as in the cultivated varieties. Even on wood that is scarcely a year 

 old, it buds abundantly. It retains an enormous quantity of fruit, 

 which hangs in bunches of three, four and five berries and which 

 cling with tenacity to the stem. The berries mature late, and when 

 fully ripe are black, and winey black. They are small (about .315 

 of a gramme), rather round and sharp at free end. The fleshy part 

 is so thin as to be more like a thin skin than real meat. On the 

 other hand the stone is very large, the seed well developed and often 

 double. It grows slowly and as regards the appearance of its 

 branches, it has a spiney look and is wonderfully strong against 

 vicissitudes of climate, and in size it only reaches the height of a 



