VARIETIES OF THE OLIVE 



413 



VARIETIES OF THE OLIVE GROWN IN CALIFORNIA 



Many varieties of the olive have been brought to California 

 from southern Europe during the last thirty years. Fifty-seven 

 varieties have been analyzed and elaborately reported upon by 

 the University experts, and of these about fifteen varieties rose to 

 commercial account but several have been dropped, as shown 

 by the statements of their operations which leading propagators 

 have kindly furnished for this work. It is an interesting fact, 

 however, that in spite of all the efforts put forth to secure a better 

 olive than the old Mission variety, this old sort comprises three- 

 fifths of all the planting which has been done during the last 

 few years that is, the Mission has received fifty per cent more 

 orders from planters than all other sorts combined. Several 

 varieties at first popular have been abandoned because of an inte- 

 rior decay of the pulp. The following is the list of the varieties 

 now favored in California on a commercial scale, arranged approx- 

 imately in the order of their present popularity : 



Mission, Manzanillo, Oblonga, 



Ascolano, Columbella, Uvaria, 



Sevillano, or Columella, Pendulina, 



Nevadillo, Oblitza, Lucques, 



Rubra, Picholine d'Aix. 



These may be taken, then, as the varieties to which attention 

 should be given. Of course the next few years' experience may 

 produce marked changes in this list. 



The Mission Olive. By this name is signified the variety found growing 

 at the old missions in California. Samples of the fruit and leaves sent by F. 

 Pohndorff to Don Jose de Hidalgo Toblada, a noted Spanish authority on the 

 olive, led to the classing of our mission varieties with the Cornicabra- Corni- 

 zuelo varieties of Spain, and its value was confirmed. It has long been known 

 that the so-called Mission olive embraced several varieties, or sub-varieties 

 at least. 



Common or Broad-Leaved Mission Olive. The variety of olive most gen- 

 erally known as the Mission; ovate, oblique sometimes very much so the pit 

 straight or slightly curved, fruit very variable in size, growing singly or in 

 clusters of two or three, or even five ; time of ripening, late, in the coast region 

 sometimes not before February, but generally -in December; in warm localities, 

 in November. 



Redding Picholine. Imported by the late B. B. Redding. A perfect oval 

 in shape, ripens early, several weeks earlier than the common Mission; dark 

 purple or black when ripe; in pickling the pulp loses the bitterness quickly, the 

 fruit being very pleasant. This variety was propagated extensively in the 

 State, and, until fruiting, was supposed to be a large pickling variety, but u 

 proved to be a small seedling a shoot coming from the root below the graft. 

 It has produced oil of good quality. The smallness of the fruit is its irreme- 

 diable defect. 



Picholine d'Aix. Fruit medium, elongated, tapering toward apex which 

 is pointed; reddish black when ripe. 



Picholine de St. Chamas. Oblong, reddish black; highly esteemed in France 

 for quality when pickled. 



