Page:The Olive Its Culture in Theory and Practice.djvu/105



The olive should be pruned every two years, but the process will have to be varied with the species cultivated. Some varieties need the knife, others require it but little. Still it is necessary to prune the olive, but skill, knowledge, and attention to the wants of the tree, are needful to secure the best results.

Some of the old world saws embody this truth and in few words gives us the experience of centuries.

"He who plows, hopes; he who manures, begs; but he who prunes the olive, obliges it to produce."

"For the olive and the oak, the spade below, and the hatchet above." "Strip me and I will dress you, make me poor and I will make you rich."

No one would think of adopting these maxims literally in their treatment of the tree but their tendency is evident.

When the young tree has attained a height of from four to five feet, and has a sufficient number of lateral branches,