Page:The Olive Its Culture in Theory and Practice.djvu/94

76 The earlier the olive buds, the earlier it flowers, the quicker the olives grow fat, the better they encounter the inclemencies of the season and the better secured is the product.

Consociation pays because as the olive comes to full fruiting slowly, it offers a new mode of lessening the unproductiveness of the early years and of reducing the expenses of the olive orchard. It may endure only until the olive comes into bearing or may be permanent. The question of consociation or not, depends upon climate, soil and exposure. In very steep, stony, shallow ground, with a rocky subsoil, sandy or in any way arid soil, it is advisable to undertake only the cultivation of the olive, because the other plants would succeed badly and would not pay for the necessary attention.

On the other hand fertile and rather level lands permit the fruitful presence of other plants, while the olive enjoys greater space and light, both being indispensable elements to its prosperous life and copious production. Since the olive is more secure as to its crop, south of its region as against climatic dangers, and to the north, runs greater risks of loss of crop because it matures late and the tree itself may suffer or even be killed by frosts, it follows that consociation in such countries (giving to the olive all the light) contributes to the more secure ripening of the fruit and to its greater production. In the case of loss of crop or trees, there is something left to the husband-man. Reasons therefore for the consociation of the vine are:

1st—Vines come to fruit in the third year and to maturity in the fifth. This is an advantage from the side of expense and return on capital.

2d—The vine can be planted with the same preparatory labor as the olive. 3d—Cultivating the vine at least three times during the year, is an indirect benefit to the olive, the more so as the epochs of these labors occur at seasons opportune for both plants.