THE OLIVE TREE ] 109 



a) The MALTESE OLIVE. (Zebbug Malti}. The 

 tree is of fair size and of very strong constitution. The 

 leaves are broad and deep green on the upper surface. 

 The fruit is elliptical in shape, blunt at the lower 

 extremity, rather small or middling in size, with a fairly 

 large stone, and turns to a dark violet at maturity in 

 November- December. The taste is bitter, but improves 

 considerably when the fruit is pickled or salted. Both 

 the pulp and the stone are highly oleiferous, producing 

 oil of fairly good quality. The tree is a constant bearer, 

 and with good cultivation often yields enormous crops. 

 This is the most common variety of the olive in 

 our groves, and as it suckers freely, and rooted suckers 

 are always readily available, it is invariably grown on 

 own roots. It is highly probable that in the halcyon 

 days of the olive tree in these Islands, this variety 

 constituted the bulk of our olive groves. 



b) The "BITNIA" OLIVE. (^\ Zebbug Bitni, It = 

 moreiia or morinella.] The tree is a vigorous grower and 

 of strong constitution. The leaves are broad and rather 

 short, of a lively shining green colour on the upper 

 surface. The fruit is very small, nearly elliptical, with 

 a comparatively very small stone, and turns to a beautiful 

 shining dark violet at maturity, which takes place towards 

 the close of October or early in November. It is very 

 rich in oil of excellent quality, but the fruit though very 

 small is often pickled or salted and has a rich flavour 

 free from bitterness. The fruit is produced in clusters, 

 and the production is sometimes astonishing, the tree 

 becoming literally black with fruit. The tree and its fruit 

 are very resistant to disease, the fruit presents also the 

 advantage that it is never attacked by the olive-fly 

 Dacus Oleae and is therefore always allowed to ripen on 

 the tree. This is the variety which seems the best 

 suited for large plantations, with a view to the production 

 of oil. At Bitnia near Uardia, hence the name, there are 

 a few colossal trees of this variety, the remnants of an 

 ancient large plantation. 



