Page:A Practical Treatise on Olive Culture, Oil Making and Olive Pickling.djvu/41

 quantity will be amply sufficient for the sprinkling of fully one hundred young trees.

But neglect and ignorance are capital sins in most things of this world, especially in arboriculture, and I have seen olive trees, in rich soil, adjoining orange, lemon and laurel trees, none of which had ever been cleaned and which were covered all over with black scale. How can any one expect a product from trees that are in the clutches of death? If, however, in spite of their leprous condition, they give a little fruit, it can be but in very small quantity, and if allowed to grow so, their weak and sickly condition will delay, if not preclude their propensity to bear.

We can thus say with reference to this that an ounce of prevention is worth ten pounds of cure.

There are other insects of a secondary importance which attack the olive tree, but provided one keeps his eyes opened to face the enemy when its vanguard puts in appearance there is but little to be feared.

Moreover, the ever provident nature comes oftentimes to the rescue of human carelessness. If the insect known under the scientific name of Hylesinus oleae bores the young twigs to the heart, causing some of the branches to break down under a heavy wind; and if a fly called the dacus oleae deposits its eggs on the berry and feeds afterwards on its flesh, the ant, and other insects belonging to the carnivorous class come and feed on them.