250 THE BOOK 4 OF USEFUL PLANTS 



an eruption of the smouldering volcano may at 

 any moment destroy. It is a wonderful tree that 

 will grow in soil made chiefly of ashes. The olive 

 does this, and grows to huge size and astonishing 

 age, if the fates permit. 



Native of Asia Minor, the olive is probably the 

 oldest of all cultivated fruit trees. It is one of the 

 earliest mentioned in the Bible and other ancient 

 writings. The oil-producing plants were not so 

 numerous as now, and oil was a staple product, 

 with many uses. 



The Mediterranean countries cultivated the 

 olive tree when the Aryan peoples migrated west- 

 ward. North Africa, Australia, and now the 

 great Southwest in our own country are olive- 

 growing regions that ship the oil and the fruit to 

 parts of the world too cold for the trees to grow. 



France and Spain and Italy produce much of the 

 oil sent to America, but no better oil is made than 

 that which California sends to market. We need 

 a few years more to learn this important fact, for 

 we still cling to the idea that things "imported" 

 are better than home products. Slowly we are 

 getting over this foolish notion. 



When the olives drop from a branch that is 

 shaken, it is time to pick them, even though they 

 be hard and green, if pickled green olives are to be 



