But none of these species forms an object 

 of great importance in the rural economy of 

 the regions to which they are indigenous, 

 nor does their introduction promise very 

 beneficial fruits to the agriculture of other 

 countries. It is far otherwise with the Euro- 

 pean Olive. This ornament of the vegetable 

 kingdom , which is called by Columella the 

 first among trees , has constituted , from the 

 remotest antiquity, the pride of some of the 

 most celebrated regions of the globe ; and , 

 besides the commercial value of its products, 

 it is invested, both by sacred and profane his- 

 tory, with a thousand interesting associations, 



It is difficult, or rather impossible, to as- 

 sign with precision the native climate of the 

 Olive : the most probable opinion is that it 

 came originally from Asia Minor, and that it 

 was also indigenous to Egypt, or introduced 

 into that country at an early period of its 

 settlement. It was transplanted to Greece by 

 the Egyptian colonies ; the Phenicians pro- 

 bably carried it to Carthage, and the Cartha- 

 ginians to Spain. Before its introduction into 

 Spain , the Phenicians maintained a lucrative 

 trade with the Spaniards in oil, which they 



