3l6 AGRICULTURAL CHEMISTRY 



or fat and while they add some nutrients, as sugar, to a 

 ration, they do not contribute any large amounts. There 

 is some food value but it is not as high as is occasionally 

 claimed for them. Their value, as is the case with other 

 fruits, is in palatability and indirectly aiding in digestion 

 and adding value to other foods. 



433. Olives, when fully matured and fresh, contain about 

 15 per cent, of oil. When preserved green, there is 

 considerably less. Olives also contain small amounts of 

 other compounds and essential oils. Pure olive oil is a 

 valuable food, but is frequently adulterated with refined 

 cottonseed and other vegetable oils. Olive oil is slightly 

 laxative in character and assists mechanically in the 

 digestion of foods by preventing compaction of f eces in the 

 intestines. 



434. Dried Fruits. In preparation for the market, 

 many fruits are preserved by drying. The dried fruit 

 has a somewhat different composition from the fresh 

 fruit because of chemical changes which take place dur- 

 ing the drying process and the slight loss of volatile and 

 essential oils. Dried fruits, when free from preservative 

 agents, are valuable, and can be used to advantage if 

 fresh fruits are not obtainable. 



435. fiiscellaneous Fruits. Since the list of fruits 

 that could be discussed is so large, only a few examples 

 have been considered. For additional information upon 

 the subject, or for data upon fruits not given, the student 

 is referred to the bulletins of the California Experiment 

 Station. 



