parser BI_ 



growers ar 







delicacy yf the virgin 



by the sacrifice of quality to quantity. 

 The olive, like all generous giveis.de- 

 niiinds that yon should "squeeze" it 

 gently. The oil is expressed from 

 the entire pulp and body of the fruit, 

 and its quality inevitably stands in 

 inverse proporiion to the quantity 

 produced. The first pressure yields 

 a thin, pure liquid, almost colorless; 

 and with this even the most fastidi- 

 ous of Englisli palates rarely makes 

 acquaintance. As the pressure is in- 

 <*rfi*Bd n !r,<s delicate *\roduct is the 

 result, while if it is still further pro- 

 longed, a rank and unwholesome ra- 

 siduum is obtained, wholly unfit 'or 

 edible purposes. It should be men- 

 tioned that the virgin oil does net re- 

 tain its freshness for more than a few 

 weeks without the addition of a little 

 salt or sugar, and it is almost impos- 

 sible for any one to realize the ex- 

 quisite delicacy of this first expres- 

 sion of the freshly gathered olive, un- 

 less he has sojourned in such a dis- 

 trict as that of which Avignon is the 

 centre. The oil of Aramont, in Pro- 

 j vence, was formerly supposed to have 

 no equal in Europe. '/ . . j.A^, $j_t 



Both the olives and the manuf^c- 

 tured oil of the southeast of Franco 

 are, indeed, still unrivalled by those 

 of any other country. The Italians 

 pay more respect to the commercial 

 aspects of their production, and 

 among them the number of olive 

 farmers and merchants is very large. 

 They have a proverb: "If you wish 

 to leave a competency to your grand- 

 children, plant an olive.'' Doubtless 

 the advice is sound enough, for the 

 trees often flourish for more than a 

 century and bear heavy crops to the 

 last. But to the peasant of southern 

 France the olive is almost what the 

 v i H is to the English laborer. Pru- 

 dent housewives there are as averse 

 to the introduction of new fruit at 

 table as their thrifty EngUsb/ sisters 

 are of the "new" loaf. TriTilJt, jifey 

 habitually preserve the darjcer bn^5 

 for every-day use; for these not beiti'g 

 ?o agreeable to the taste "go" much 

 further a necessary consideration 

 when they oftener form the staple 

 than the accompaniment of tho meal. 

 Olives intended for eating are gather- 

 ed while still green, usually in tho 

 month of October. They are soaked 

 for some hours in the strongest possi- 

 ble lye to get rid of their bitterness, 

 and are afterward allowed to stand 

 for a fortnight in frequently-changed 

 fresh water, in order to be perfectly 

 purified of the lye. It only tbjfn re- 

 mains to preserve them in ^Brnnuin 

 salt and water, when they me . 

 for export. Among the Hfcman.s the 

 olive held tho piivilea^K positiorupf 

 being equally respeWed as a daitSy 

 ory and an ordinary food, It 

 was eaten at the tables of the teni- 

 | perate and the luxurious alike, aud, 

 while dividing tho highly flavored 

 i ishes of their extravagant suppers; 

 formed' a constituent oi Horace's pas- 

 j toral meal 



Of olive, endive, simple tastes, 



And mallow. 



At what precise date olives began 

 t "!1 their present office in England 

 is not quite clear; V t they were plen- 



THE OLIVE T 



REE. 



ST. HELBNA, Dec. 2, 1883. 

 ED. GAZETTE: Your county has for a cen- 

 tury proved its adaptedness of many a region 

 to the successful rearing of one of the most 

 important trees which in climates like yours 

 ought to be one of the foremost objects of 

 farming, the olive tree. In your own district 

 several years ago Mr. B. Dreyfus added a 

 njiuni) number of olive plants to the stock of 

 liis property, nnd thereby set an example 

 worthy to imitate. I have from several 

 sources the statement that quite a quantity 

 -ol_flljyej>lants are being reared in several 



districts of Los Angeles and .San BernartlTno ; ~ 

 counties. I also see that the pressof your 

 county capital is prominently putting the 

 subject of olive culture before the public; 

 discussions are going on about how to do the 

 work, what kind to elect, and in short pub- 

 lic attention is maturing into recognition of 

 the significance of that fruit which is sure to 

 be one of the chief sources of the wealth of 

 Southern California. You will be aware that 



count they are coming. This reform is time- 

 ly and we may hope for tine results, where 



' '?' 



le 



the propagation of those varieties, son- 

 will take place for the benefit of the 

 State. The University of California au_ 

 Professor HnVard personally \till .receive 

 collections among others. 1 ^ /l " 5l ^* vv< ^V' 



Do not ascribe again oondeiirna^oi'.v 

 discouraging intentions to my inter.. iu 





I 



trials with better varieti 

 there is an awakening in the whole of the j th e contrary. When 



State to the fact that it wuuld be unpardon- 

 able if the possibility of rendering California 

 an olive-oil-growing country be not t^keu 

 advantage of. Indifference to the privilege 

 of growing olives has been too long ruling, 

 aud the foremost among California planters 

 are now acting to make good aneglent which 

 deserved reproach. Valuable experience of 

 men, H ho like Mr. Cooper of Santa Barbara 

 and the Messrs. Kimball of Sau Diego corn- 



found by the masses practically, thtere wil : oe 

 the simple remedy of grafting with the Mis- 

 eio- 1|, as there is with the acclimu'ed 

 ana -lOfi- Criminalized California Mission V'DLV 

 Ti'. P." ..,*,, 



In your 



municate it freely, is at the command of the . (iuot atkms f, ,m notes of min 



1~ . . . _ \TT_1- 1... ,1 ... . . 



planter. We nave a valuable variety in the 

 Mission olive. Very good oil from it is au 

 absolute proof of success. Tlie cliances of at- 



'1SKSS AND HORTICULTURIST! 

 issue January 5, which I re- 



ceived through your kindness, ) -infj 



olive growing. There seems to be 

 omission, for you miss the imlic-.Uio 

 varieties that I believe will be 



> DC 



icalio , 



>c an im- 1 



taining success, therefore, are abundant provemeut upon our ow;i Mission olive, 

 enough. lu the .San Francisco Merchant oc- T shall Jill the fi:ip witii a few notes about 

 casional information, gathered trom tlie best varieties now" on their way from Spain, 

 aud most experienced writer and practical i which will bo tried in many parts of tho 

 grower of Spaiu, Don Jose de Hidalgo Tab- State, and, among others in Southern < 'al- 

 lada, has been given on olives and I shall ifovuia, by Messrs. Kimball, Mr. .1. I"- 

 continue to publish more of interest for the Earth Shorb-BBfl Mr. 1!. Dreyfus. Messrs.- 

 grower in that paW. VVost aml ( ' ll!ls - A ' XVet ""-<' wili :lls '-' reJ 



palter 

 For the guidance vf intending olive rearers 



say 



a few 



ds here ab\)ut our 



let me 



ir- i- r< i- 



Mission olive: Comparing olives grown in 



, 



hve counties, although aa^earher degree 01 



ccive puttings and roots and those gentle- 

 men will experiment on them in theCajon 

 lands. 

 The merits of our 



Mission olive tree, 



maturity distinguishes those of southern 

 counties, the fact seems patent that all be- 



j recogmzedasof the ConferucHo ' > 



variety, are most fortunate ones, inas- 

 much, with its long acclimatization, it has 



long to theCornezueloCormcabra family, and be( . ome , t mUivi , already, and therefore. 

 leaf, shape of fruit aud seed show an exact w) , enf , vor it 1S desired to -raft a new- 

 similarity to the Olea Europea Ceraticarpa V!u .jety, a most acceptable stock is Mi- 

 variety, as it is called by Olemente, and (miid 



Olea Adorata by Hos, while in France it is \Vlml net-mod to me an ineonveni' , 



named Luquoise or la Luques, this latter in the Mission olive is the lute maturing 



appellation indicating its origin or propaga- of tho fruit. Your southern region has 



tiou from tlie Italian olive region of Lucca. 

 The observations on this variety are: "It is 

 "a good oil fruit, and the oil 13 of the best 

 "grown in Central Spaiu. The fruit matures 

 "late; the tree is probably of all of ihe genus 

 "olive that which requires most degrees of 

 "heat to ripen its fruit. It resists cold. Re- 

 "quires good cultivation and manure, loose 

 "soil and ventilation. Young trees bear 

 "better than old ones. Its hark contracts 

 "warts aud nodosities, is therefore not a 

 "clean wood. It can resist drought. Deep 

 "loosening of soil is convenient for tliis tree, 

 "which cannot bear amputations of large 

 "limbs. Pruning ought to ba clone with 

 "and discernment. " fov 



With the great advantages nui 

 olive possesses, therefore, the i 

 ot it are also apparent. 4 It rqquirei 



grees of heat of all; it hears a 



maturing 



fruit. These two disadvantages areseriott,for 



may be different for 

 the State, and parly 



little cause of fearing the drawback of 

 not having every olive attain full matur- 

 ity, but the case 

 othor districts of 

 ripening kinds will be desirable. A Marl 

 from tho exacting circumstance of kee>>- 

 ing the life-power of tho Mission olive 

 tree busy till deep into the winter, when 

 it ought to have repose, thus overworking 

 the plant, there in, for the expediency of 

 diversifying our varieties, the .simple rea- 

 son that there are many kinds in existence 

 which have virtues our Mission olive 

 does not possess. Mr. Frank A. Kimball 

 writes me that hu finds a great difference 

 in time of ripening in different trees in. the 

 orchard of the old Mission, some tre.es 

 perfecting their fruit in October, while 

 other trees are. two months later. This, 

 would indicate that according to the posi- 

 tion and soil wo. should plant tho variety 

 adapted to it. Maturity seems to depend 



why should we have only a late maturing ; upon the power of heat that acts upon tho 

 fruit, while a dozen or more early maturing tree. Much kind requires -,i dirVcrcnt 

 ones from Europe, many of them superior in amount, of bra.',. I' ides.-, there, an- I,- 

 tcery other respect, are at our command? A li'lct varieties at 1 lie Mission orchard Mr. 

 late maturer, having need of a continued Kimball .speaks of, the locality and y.'ua- 

 activettowof sap- from, say, the end of tion. soil, moisture and ile-ree of heat re- 

 March to the end of December and even to <*"' ' t! 'e '.ggregato, by the trees ma- 

 the end of January, cannot be as durable a lurin tl>c' fruit in October, should Lo 

 tree as one that, with perhaps 25 per cent, observed, Studied ami made models of, 

 of degree, of heat less, works only from f " r w 



Marcn to the end of October or the begin- 



, .. , Ions rest, after its 



mng of JNovember, and yields a finer fruit . , ' , . , 



ow tho tree a 



.season s work, will lie 

 . 

 in favor of Us longevity. 



To mention :i few of the earlv 

 bringing forth olives of treble the size of the, vi|| . i(ai( .^ whj( , h w|U ,.<.,, ,. 



Cormcabra, that require kss turre and heat ihol tly t and, fc to the BhaHl for the l.'ni 



t ii :.. .1 t \x* _t._n i._ ;_ 



for their product. We shall he ill posseo- 



vcrsitv <>( California and Professor Hil- 



sion of collections of the best tarly varieties! ^^j p ,,, >01 , :l!!v . , v ;n ,. ( .,. oiv( , ,u,e care for 

 in a few months and gentlemen from south- 1 fllU|r( , p^u,,,! r ,., u i lN th,.,,. will bo 

 crn counties are among those for whose ac-i. ,,, n,,, m c.hn u,,,,-,,,,;!!,, olive, r. miir- 



