Page:The Olive Its Culture in Theory and Practice.djvu/32

26 and defended from the north wind. It sends out a great number of twigs subtle, long and bent back which makes the top look sparse and willow like. It needs little pruning. It is a large tree especially in the spread of its branches. It buds and holds much fruit and carries it easily to maturity if not injured by excessive heat or harsh winds. The berries are fleshy, abundant in oil, middle-sized, pointed and bowed at one side. This olive in appearance seems like the Grossajo or Frantojo.

This olive is of middle stature and is fond of sheltered spots with rich and deep soils. Fogs do not harm it. It is very prolific, produces many blossoms and gives fruit in abundance. The berries form in bunches of five, six, seven and even nine in a cluster, and bend the branches to the ground with their weight.

The berries are long and bulged at the lower end, fleshy, but do not give as much oil in proportion as some of the foregoing. This olive has the peculiarity of fruiting on the wood of the year and is therefore an annual. It has been introduced into California as the Olea Oblonga, in allusion to its shape, but this is a confusion of terms as the real Olea Oblonga is the true Picholine. Besides the Racemi or Racimal is a better olive than the Oblonga or Picholine, and confusion in terms is what we are striving to avoid.

Olivier de Grasse or Plant de Solon is called also Tagbasquo, Cougniale, Olivier a fruit de cornouller, Olivier Pleureur, and is in fact the Olea Europea craniomorpha medio fructu cornu of Gouan, L'olea Europea corniola of Risso, L'olivier Pendulier of Riondet, L'olivo Taggiasco of Liguria and is really nothing else than our old friend the Mission olive.

This olive according to Tablada is the largest known. Its limbs are straight and strong. The smaller branches have an inclination