151 



also vary between first and second, or subsequent, crushing**. Upon an 

 average, from fifty to sixty pounds of fruit are required to make a gallon 

 of oil. Scrupulous cleanliness is essential in every operation, as the oil 

 ha a tendency to attract odours. In fact, Olive oil is one of the chief 

 mediums u<ed by perfume makers to extract odours from flowers. Before 

 the oil is bottled it is usual to filter it through a layer of cotton wool so 

 as to remove any foreign matter. Oil of the best quality is as clear as 

 water, and is obtained by simply pressing the fruit. In the Olive - 

 growing countries of Europe it is usual to treat the pulp, mixed with 

 water, \ second time with a greater pressure, the product being an 

 inferior oil. 



PICKLINU OLIVES. 



Olives for pickling should be fully grown, but may be either green, 

 wholly or partially ripe. They should be picked and handled with care 

 so as to avoid bruising, and, as far as practicable, the fruit in each lot 

 ought to be alike in size and colour. The next thing is to steep the fruit 

 in water containing a go'ocl proportion of lime and potash to extract the 

 bitterness. After the Olives have been steeped for twenty-four hours the 

 water should be poured off, and its place supplied with fresh water. 

 This process should be repeated for several days till the fruit has lost the 

 greater portion of its bitterness. The Olives should then be placed in 

 bottles and covered with salt and water, using the former rather freely. 

 It will be necessary to securely fasten the bottles to keep out the air. 

 When carefully prepared in this way, sound Olives will keep good for 

 many years. 



PROPAGATION. 



Propagation is easily effected by seeds, cuttings, layers, suckers, 

 budding, and grafting. Raising plants from seed is a somewhat slow 

 process, as two or three years must elapse before the seedlings are large 

 enough to be planted out. Then, again, seedling trees take a much 

 longer time before they yield fruit than those which have been raised by 

 other methods. Neither can the grower make sure of his varieties from 

 seedling plants. Seed may be sown at any time in shallow drills, 

 covering it an inch deep. The following season the young plants should 

 be transplanted in rows two feet apart, leaving about fifteen inches 

 between them in the lines. Cuttings strike freely, and this method of 

 propagation is the one most generally adopted. Branches of various 

 sizes may be struck freely, and sometimes these large cuttings are several 

 feet in length and their stems as many inches in diameter. The best 

 time for putting in cuttings is in the autumn or early in the spring. 

 Plants can be readily obtained from layers, which may be put down at 

 any time of the year. Suckers, which are generally freely produced from 

 the roots of old trees, yield fairly good plants, which may be taken off 

 and planted at any time between April and September. Budding and 



