Preparation of the Ground
CHAPTER VIII.
"O, dig a hole, and dig it deep."—Old Play.
The selection of the spot for an olive orchard having been made, the surface should be cleared of all woody plants and roots, and then plowed as deeply as possible. If the plowing can be done with the first rains, say in November, and the ground left exposed to the elements till planting time comes, which should be after all danger from frost has past, it will receive an atmospheric fertilization which will be so much gained. But let the plowing be deep, twenty inches if possible, remember that centuries may pass before it can be done again. Any expense incurred in this direction is money well laid out, and will pay for itself many times in opening the way for the perfect rooting of the future olive.
On the other hand, shallow plowing and a dry season might well result in young olives casting their leaves and fruit, from the impos-possibility of the young rootlets penetrating the hard unbroken soil.
The plowing finished, the holes for the trees are next in order, these may be of various shapes, square, rectangular, and lastly the trench.
Of the holes, the square is the best, and to obtain the very best result should be three feet deep, and three feet wide at the surface. If the ground in question has not at least a yard of soil, the olive will not flourish there, as when the tap root encounters an obstruction it bends up and the lateral roots develope in its place, and as the growth of the tree is always equally proportioned between its root system and its branches, the obstacle encountered by the pivot roots becomes immediately apparent in the appearance of the tree. The stem, which corresponds to this root, ceases to grow with its previous vigor and force. The trunk loses its smooth, ash colored bark, and its base is covered with a variety of protuberances, which
