REPORT OF THE POMOLOGIST. 645 
ereat fruitfulness and entire absence of seeds, makes it one of the 
best to orgw: 28 . 
The illustrations on Plate 3 were made from specimens from W. 
W. Thompson, of Smithville, Ga. 
THE OLIVE. 
(Olea Huropec.) 
One of the expensive articles of commerce that we of the United 
States have at present to buy abroad is olive oil. There are vast 
tracts in California, and possibly a few localities in other States 
where the olive will thrive. In fact it is now being planted exten- 
sively in California; in some cases as many as 40 acres or more in 
one orchard. Recently I had the pleasure of visiting scme of these 
orchards. At the farm of Mr. Edward E. Goodrich, near San José, 
in that State, I saw the trees in bearing and the fruit being made 
into oil. Some of the trees had grown to nearly a foot in diameter 
and others were only just planted. This orchard and those of Mr. 
Elwood Cooper, of Santa Barbara, and Mr. Frank A. Kimball, of 
National City, the latter in the extreme southwestern county in the 
United States, are the largest yet planted. Mr. Luther Burbank, of 
Santa Rosa, is largely engaged in the propagation and sale of olive 
trees, Itis my opinion that the best lands of the State for olive cult- 
ure have not yet been planted. I refer to the foot-hills of the Sierra 
Nevada and other ranges lying back from the coast, and out of the 
way of the fogs and damp air nearer the ocean. The scale-insect, 
which is one of the pests of the olive, will not be likely to be trouble- 
some there, and there is plenty of cheap land to be had, which in Cali- 
fornia is'a desideratum. The rather elevated lands where frost will 
not be severe, and where the soil will not be so rich or moist as to in- 
duce a too rapid growth, will be the very best for this purpose. 
Experiments are begun in olive culture in Florida, Texas, and 
other Southern States, but as yet no results worthy of report have 
been reached, except that the trees grow well. 
Pickled olives are becoming more popular upon the tables of our 
people, and are very nutritious and wholesome. They are usually 
pickled while green, but to my taste those nearly ripe are much more 
palatable and also more nutritious. The fully ripe fruit in a rew 
and unpickled state is never eaten, possessing a very disagreeable 
bitter taste. The tree is very graceful and serves well the purposes 
of a street or shade tree. 
‘ ine two varieties in general cultivation in California are described 
elow: 
Mission. 
About one hundred and sixty years ago the Catholic fathers planted 
trees or seeds of the olive at the old mission of San Diego, now near 
the city of that name in California, which are yet standing and bear- 
ing, although entirely neglected. These trees are the origin of whatis 
known in California as the ‘‘ Mission” olive, and which is illustrated 
on Plate No. 6 in this report. The specimens from which this illus- 
‘tration was made were taken by me from the orchard of Mr. E. H. 
Goodrich, near San José, in Santa Clara County, and fairly represent 
the variety. It is thought to be one of the best known for pickling, 
