Page:The Olive Its Culture in Theory and Practice.djvu/83

Rh as not to interfere with each other. In the spring of the third year, again open the trench, and cut off any sprouts that may have started on the mother cutting. Also, if the lower branches of the two or three shoots of the year before, interfere with cultivation, or are growing out of proportion to the tree, prune them as may be necessary.

In the month of March of the fourth year, the plants will be sufficiently advanced to serve as truncheons. Again the trench is uncovered, until the union of the truncheon with the wood originally planted, is visible. Seizing this, with a steady pull, tear it from the mother, and with it, will come away some roots, and part of the original bark and wood. These are most necesary to its perfect rooting. We now have a truncheon, and it must be planted in the manner heretofore described.

The original wood, from which there has been torn one, two, or three young trees, will put out fresh shoots immediately, and go on producing other trees, and the treatment must be the same as that already described.

A.—The stock. C.—g. The graft. e. e'. e '' .—The scions inserted. B.—The incision in the bark of the stock to admit the graft.

The olive can be grafted in several ways; two methods are the most appropriate—crown and shield grafting. In crown grafting the operation is performed when the buds are grown a third of an inch long. Cut horizontally the head of the stock, or the branches only of the second or third order, according to the age of the tree,