THE OLIVE IN SICILY. 683 



The names of best varieties for oil are: La Biancolilla (little white), , 

 an oblong white, yellowish olive, even when it is ripe, yielding a very fine 

 oil; La Calabrese, a small olive, but very productive, yielding excellent 

 oil ; La Ogliara, of medium size, giving an ordinary quality of oil ; La 

 Cerasola or Prunara, a precocious and pulpy olive, yielding plenty oil, 

 but very rich ; it is used for eating. La Raitana, a very late fruit, of 

 ordinary quality of oil ; and La Galtabellottese, an oblong black olive 

 when ripe, giving rather a rich oil. 



The names of other varieties worthy of culture and for profit are 

 the following : La Mortillara, Giarraffa, Patornesc, Mesxinese, Nasitana, 

 Pizzutella, Piricuddara, Saracena, Siragusana, and San Francescana. 



Situation. The said varieties are grown in Sicily in the provinces of 

 Palermo. Trapani, Caltanissetta, Catania, and Messina, at the distance 

 of from 100 to 300 meters from the sea, and at an altitude of 300 to 800 

 meters above the sea-level, exposed to sun and planted on hilly, roll- 

 ing land, for it is the best, and on flinty, calcareous, argillaceous soil. 



Climate. The climatic temperature is: minimum 5 centigrade in 

 January, maximum 35 in August, and 17 average in May. 



The average rain-fall in Sicily is considered to be from 25 to 30 inches 

 in the year. More than that rain would help the culture greatly. 



Irrigation. There is no regular method of irrigating olive trees, and 

 a good crop of fruit depends entirely upon favorable weather and rain- 

 fall in the proper season. 



Cultivation. The earth about must be regularly dug at least twice a 

 year; that is, in the month of June and August, and manured at the 

 end of the winter. 



Pruning. Pruning is to be done regularly after the fruit has been 

 gathered. 



Picking. The olives'for making oil are to be picked when turning to 

 the dark violet color, for then the pulp is easily detached from the 

 stone. When so picked they give the following favorable result, viz: 



Palp 51.26 



Water 14.38 



Stone 20.16 



Residue 8. 38 v 



Oil of the curl 0. 06 



The following system maybe established as the proper time for pick- 

 ing the fruit : 



(1) Olives gathered before full maturity give very fine, but very little, 

 oil. . 



(2) Olives gathered at full maturity yield the most quantity of oil 

 and of a good quality. 



(3) Olives gathered late produce oil of a poor quality. 



Pickling. The olives for pickling must be picked when full grown, 

 but in green color. After so picked they are prepared for making oil 

 and for pickling. 



