The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1894-07-18
ABOUT THE OLIVE INDUSTRY
A Herald Reporter Has a Talk
With Mr.. J. s. Calkins.
The Pomona Orchardist's Views on
Well Treated Orchards.
He Thinks Olives Would Pay as Well
as Oranges II Mon Would Only
Bostow the Same Care
Upon Them.

One OF the HERALD's staff happened
to look over the register OF the Hollen-
beck hotel day or two ago and saw the
name OF John S. Cslkins, Pomona,
among the recent arrivals. He sent up
his card, and few minutes later the
olive orchardist made his appearance.
A slender figure, with hair and beard
slightly frosted by some 4S winters, and
face considerably bronzed by exposure,
was dressed in modest suit of gray
tweeds as he took a chair beside the re-
porter. 1t is evident to the close OBJ
server that, while Mr.. Calkins is thor.
oughly in love with his business, he 10 not
80 enthusiastic as to be deemed vision
airy or theoretical. Indeed, his views, as
expressed to our reporter, would indi-
cate the Pomona nurseryman to be- one
OF the most practical of men. The re-
porter opened the conversation by ask
ing:.
"Mr. Cslkins, how do you regard the
olive industry OF this state? La it pro-
crossing or retrograding
sit is not retrograding surely, but l
regret to say that it ia not progressing in
any due proportion to it's real i'm
portance," said the gentleman from Po-
mona.
"By the way, 1 should have aeked
you first whether you are an oil producer
or whether you pickle olives for mar
ket?" said the reporter.
81 make no oil, except experimental
iy, to test the yalus of sample berries
grown on different varieties of olive
trees. pickle o few olives, whatever
may be growing on my trees. No; my
business is that of nurserymsn, and l
cell trees for other men to make their
oil and picklel. My only reason for
keeping any grown trees at oil is for OK
perimentn in pollenization.
The reporters face became suddenly
elongated as he gasped out, "Mr. Calk-
ms, what is pollenation ~
That is the most interesting study l
have got hold of for some time" replied
the gentleman from Mnrchisonville. as
his features relaxed into. pleasant
smile. ut consists of planting trees of
different varieties 90 close to each other
that the pollen will blow from one tree
to another"
"And that produces hybridization, or
mixing of the varieties? ?" queried the
scribe.
"Not necessarily" replied Mr.. Calk.
ine, "but some of the results attained by
it are remarkable-almost unaccounta.
Bile. For instance, dozen Picholene
olive trees were set in o lot separated by
a narrow path from an old and WELL
matured grove of Mission olives. Just
as the pollen season approached there
were streng breezes blowing every day
frnr
trees TIE e9pseaHysapGs. r.. was TRAY aat yshg
yield, while that of the Mission trees
was enormously heavy on the windward
eide, next to the Picholenes. On the
leeward eide of theae Mission trees there
was scarcely any fruit az ALL"
''The Picholene ia small, round
berry, while that OF the Mission variety
ia oblong. Did the pollen OF the Picho-
lenes have any effect on the shape of the
Mission berries, that you noticed ?''
"None Whatever. That was the
strange part of the affair to me. The
berries were Mission berries pure and
simple, beyond any doubt. But that
the fecundity of the Mission trees un the
windward side was due wholly to the
pollen from the Picholene trees, l have
never once doubted"
what do you consider the beat olive
for all purposes asked the pencil
pusher.
THAT is question which covers a
very wide expsnse of territory" said
the orchardist, with q smile. "Your
orchsrd of olive trees must be governed
largely by the components of the soil in
which it is planted"
''Well, do yon call the Picholene a
good oliver"
Undoubtedly, for some localities.
1t 10 but little affected by frost, which
10 very dangerous to the Manzanillo and
Nevadilla Blanca varieties. The Mission
is hardy olive and the old Spanish
priests, to whom we are indebted for it's
Introduction, evidently knew its yaluo
when they brought it here, it being
harder than the Nevadilla Blanca and
tht Manzanills. while its yield in weight
IL greater than the Picholsne and its oil
OF higher grade"
What are the objections to the Ne.
vadills Blanca?"
ut is delicate tree to bring up, but
once you get it growing, say five years,
tho tree itself will stay. Its fruit, how
ever, 10 always in more or less danger
OF frost, and should, therefore, be
picked as early as possible"
FLOW about the Manzanilla ?" asked
the reporter.
Ut ie the best picking olive I know,
and its berries greatly resemble those
green olives that are shipped out here
in bottles from London. But it is q del
icate tree like Nsvadilla. and is hard to
grow from cuttings. AS an oil olive il |
falls balow the Nevadilla. At the uni
versity the Nevsdilla showed 80 per |
cent of oil against 25.45 per cent for the |
Manzanilla, while at the chemical works
in this city DR.. Woodbridge obtained a
result of 25.7 per cent for Nevadillas ss
against %. l for Manzanilias. The only
test in which Manzsnillas surpassed |
Nevadillas was in some samples grown
at Fresno and sent to the university"
"Bow do you account for the popular
lty of the Mission olive which yields
from to per cent less oil than the Ne.
vadilla?" queried the journalist
I'm the tirst place it is better known.
and in the next place it is harder and
Easier to grow from the cuttings," said
Mr.. Calkins, land that, to man who
has to work from sunrise to sunset,
means good DEAL"