660 FRUIT CULTURE IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES. 



14 to 20 per cent, of oil, and in volume from 20 to 24 per cent., accord- 

 ing to the variety, the point of maturity reached, and the manner of 

 extracting the oil. 



Planting. The trees are planted from 12 to 18 meters apart, if they 

 are of a very large and ligneous variety, or if vines or other plants are 

 grown together with them. For short-stemmed trees the distance is 

 shortened to from 5 to 8 meters. On hillsides the distance between the 

 trees is reduced somewhat. 



Preserving. Olives that are put in salted water, or in any other way 

 preserved fresh and sweet, are gathered green ; those that are to be 

 dried are gathered ripe. Olives from which oil is to be extracted should 

 be gathered when just ripe; unripe olives give but little oil, and that 

 of a grassy flavor, while those over-ripe yield abundantly, but the oil is 

 coarse and rank. The time for reaching the proper point of maturity 

 depends on the locality, the variety of olive, and upon the season ; but 

 when the first fruit drops spontaneously to the ground it may be taken 

 as a sign that the crop is ready for gathering. Generally this takes place 

 through December and January. 



The olives that are to be preserved fresh are first soaked in a strong 

 lye, then, after having been put through several washings in clear water, 

 they are placed in salted water, together with wild fennel. Finally they 

 are put into water slightly salted, which must be renewed at least once 

 a month. 



Olives that are preserved dried are spread out in the open air, in some 

 place exposed to the tramontana (wind), or else they may be dried in 

 ovens. 



Extracting the oil. To extract the oil the olives are placed in a crush- 

 ing machine, where they are reduced to a paste, which is then subjected 

 to a pressure sufficient to express the oil. 



Soil and climate. The olive grows best on slopes, well sunned, bat 

 not too dry, and trees grown in such localities produce a very superior 

 oil. In fertile plains and valleys a large quantity of oil is obtained, but 

 the quality is inferior to that obtained from the hillsides. 



The soils best adapted to the growth of the olive are porous and 

 rather moist ; such are many chalky and argillaceous soils, also a yellow, 

 sandy soil over argillaceous strata. 



Irrigation is not necessary in olive culture. 



Locality. Olive groves are planted sometimes very near the sea, in 

 places least exposed to the wind. 



LEWIS EICHMOND, 



Consul- General* 



UNITED STATES CONSULATE-GENERAL, 



Rome, April 1, 1884. 



