The herald., 1894-01-16
OLIVE CULTURE.
Some Valuable nforma alton from John g.
Galkius

Some Valuable Information from John g.
Calkins.
In q paper on olive culture, by John
s. Calkins Of Pomona. read at the meet
ing of the farmers institute held at
Whittier. January II and 12, 1894, he
said:
With v:sw OF studying the olive
under varied conditions of culture, /
have recently visited mum erous bearing
orchards in the country about Pomona
while the fruit was ripe. The trees ex-
amined range from 4 to about 80 years
of age. / found them in fruitage in
sandy washes, in sandy loan. in black
adobe and in hard red clay soils, both
with and without irrigation, and / could
see no marked difference as to size or
quantity of fruit produced on the trees
noted, in favor of any kind OF soil,
whether irrigated or not, or whether
cultivated once or several times during
the season. did not see any growing
in strictly alkah land, but am reliably
informed that there is one growing in
that kind of soil near the edge of Elsi
more lake which is in very healthy con-
dition. 1t was planted some seven years
ago with other fruit trees, and a few
years after the orchard was planted the
water in the lake rose several feet and
extended up the trunks of the trees
about foot, remaining at about that
height nearly q year. ALI the other
star ds in a thicket of willows which
have taken the place of the former
orchard. The tree is bearing fine fruit
this year, some of which 1 have placed
in the Los Angeles chamber OF COM
merce with collection of % other
varieties of olives grown on all the kinds
OF soil mentioned, with and without irri-
CATION. Each sample is 30 labeled that
one may learn all particulars and make
comparisons.
One OF the bearing orchards visited
is located on remote mountain ridge
at an elevation of some 1900 feet above
sea level, on red brick clay land. 1t is
not likely water could be reached by
digging down 100 feet. All of the other
non-irrigated trees are in locations
where the water is from 20 to over 100
feet below the surface, except one,
where the water in the we'll is 80 feet
below the surface of the ground. But
while the trees thrive in alkali land
with wet feet agbside the willow and
In elevated locations in red brick clay
land, with water 100 feet or more below
. the surface, there is one condition in
which the olive will not dc its evel
best; under the influence of the coast
climate it, in common with citrus trees,
becomes infested with black scale and
strike follows so far as producing much
iluit. Happily, by means of fumiga-
ton and the Martin wash, bearing trees
may be cleaned OF this pest at an an
nual expense of about 20 cents per tree;
besides We have hopes the parasite
lately introduced will prove an effectual
remedy.
The trees examined were OF the
Nevadillo, Manzanillo and Mission
varieties, chiefly the last named. There
are probably 30 other varieties in bear
ing in small way throughout the state,
of which the Columilla, Rubra, Pendu-
lima, Oblonga and Uvaria are best
known.
| have some so varieties in my nur-
series and experiment grounds here in
Pomona, which think comprise about
all that have 80 far been brought to the
state. l am in hopes that the major
part OF them will show little fruit tor
comparison the ensuing season.
In view of the fact that olive trees
thrive so well and the product meets
with such ready home market, fruit
growers and capitalists are engaging
quite largely in the industry.