273 PLINY' S NATURAL HISTORY. [Book XV. 



as conducive in the very highest degree to the comforts of life, 

 has declared that there was no one who had ever gathered fruit 

 from the olive-tree that had been sown by his own hands, so 

 slow was it in reaching maturity in those times ; whereas, now 

 at the present day, it is sown in nurseries even, and if trans- 

 planted will bear fruit the following year. 



CHAP. 2. THE NATURE OF THE OLIVE, AND OF NEW OLIVE OIL. 



Fabianua maintains that the olive will grow 5 neither in 

 very cold climates, nor yet in very hot ones. Virgil 6 has 

 mentioned three varieties of the olive, the orchites, 7 the 

 radius, 8 and the posia ; 9 and says that they require no raking 

 or pruning, nor, in fact, any attention whatever. There is no 

 doubt that in the case of these plants, soil and climate are the 

 things of primary importance ; but still, it is usual to prune 

 them at the same time as the vine, and they are improved by 

 lopping between them every here and there. The gathering of 

 the olive follows that of the grape, and there is even a greater 

 degree of skill required in preparing 10 oil than in making 

 wine ; for the very same olives will frequently give quite 

 different results. The first oil of all, produced from the raw n 

 olive before it has begun to ripen, is considered preferable 

 to all the others in flavour ; in this kind, too, the first 12 drop- 

 pings of the press are the most esteemed, diminishing gradually 

 in goodness and value ; and this, whether the wicker-work 13 

 basket is used in making it, or whether, following the more 



5 This is the case. "We may remark that the tree will grow in this 

 country, but the fruit never comes to maturity. 



6 Georg. ii. 85, also ii. 420. 



' Probably the Olea maximo fructu of Tournefort. It has its name 

 from the Greek opxiQ, the "testis," a name by which it is still known in 

 some parts of Provence. 



8 Or "shuttle" olive. Probably the modern pickoline, or long olive. 



9 Probahly the Olca media rotunda praecox of Tournefort. It is 

 slightly bitter. 



10 This is so much the case, that though the olives of Spain and Por- 

 tugal are among the finest, their oils are of the very worst quality. 



11 It does not appear that the method of preparing oil by the use of 

 boiling water was known to the ancients. Unripe olives produce an ex- 

 cellent oil, but in very small quantities. Hence they are rarely used for 

 the purpose. 



12 Called "virgin," or "native" oil in France, and very highly esteemed. 



13 Sporta. 



