OLIV*. 261 



183d year from the foundation of Rome, there were no 

 olive-trees either in Italy, Spain, or Africa, which is a 

 strong presumption that they grew originally only in 

 Syria." Theophrastus states, that in the 440th year of 

 the city, there were no olive-trees in Italy, but on the 

 coast, and within forty miles of the sea; but Pliny says, 

 in his time, they were to be found in the very heart of 

 Spain and France, but that the olives of Syria, although 

 smaller, produced the best oil. Virgil mentions but three 

 kinds of olives : Columella mentions ten varieties, but says 

 he believes they were much more numerous. The olive- 

 tree is cultivated with great assiduity by the peasants, on 

 the banks of the river Kizilasan in Persia. 



The olive-tree was first introduced into England in the 

 year 1570 ; but there is little inducement for us to culti- 

 vate it, since it is by no means handsome, and we have 

 no desire for its ripe fruit. Besides, the climate in ge- 

 neral is not sufficiently warm to assure us of a crop, 

 though we have no doubt but it would flourish in many 

 situations on the south side of the Sussex Downs, where 

 the fig-tree thrives : indeed, in some parts of Devonshire 

 it is found as a standard tree, and is seldom injured by 

 the frost. 



Several olive-trees were planted against a warm wall 

 at Camden House near Kensington, which succeeded very 

 well till their tops advanced above the wall; after which 

 they were generally cut down to the top of the wall in 

 winter. These in 1719 produced a good quantity of fruit, 

 which grew so large as to be fit for pickling. 



According to Columella, this tree flourishes best in 

 dry hills that are full of white clay ; for in moist and fat 

 fields it produces plenty of leaves, but no fruit. Though 

 this author contradicts the opinion that the olive will not 

 grow sixty miles from the sea, he states, that where an 

 oak has stood, it cannot be raised. 



