684 FRUIT CULTURE IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES. 



The process of pickling green colored olives in Sicily is very simply 

 done, viz, by putting them in salt water, made out of one pound of sea- 

 salt to every gallon of fresh water, stored in barrels, casks, or any other 

 receptacle, and let them remain there until eaten. In that manner they 

 are shipped and kept for home trade. As to the process of making oil. 

 it is impossible for me to describe it minutely. 

 Maturity. Trees commence fruiting at the age of eight years. 

 Yield. The average yield from J to 4 hectoliters of fruit. 

 Planting and propagating. The distance apart is from 16, 22, and 32 

 feet, and propagated by several methods. 



VINCENT LAMANTIA, 



Consul. 

 UNITED STATES CONSULATE, 



Catania^ January 21, 1890. 



SICILY. 



REPORT BY CONSUL WOODCOCK, OF CATANIA. 

 [ Republished from Consular Reports No. 41$. 1 



At least ten varieties of the olives of the present age were known and 

 cultivated by the ancient Eomans. There are the Pausio, Algiano, 

 Licinio, Sergio, Culminio, Orchide, Eegio, Cereifce, Nevio, and Mirteo. 

 Of these the best for yielding oil are the Licinio and the Sergio. The 

 fruit of the Pausio, Eegio, and Orchide is of fine flavor, and excellent 

 for eating as condiment, and yields a good quality of oil. 



In this part of Italy , especially in the neighborhood of Syracuse, there 

 are probably greater varieties of the olive than were known to the old 

 Eomans. Among these may be mentioned the Ptesano (native), by some 

 called the African ; the Oglialoro, which produces a smaller fruit than 

 the Psesano, but it is rich in oil; the Biancolino (white), of which the 

 pulp of the fruit is white ; the Pizzuto (pointed), the fruit being some- 

 what pointed in shape; the Prunaro (plum), the fruit being roundish in 

 form ; the Dattio (date), of which the fruit is elongated and oval |n fom ; 

 and the Ferlese, the fruit of which yields a finely-flavored oil, and is ex- 

 cellent for comfits. 



The varieties that are preferred for the utility of their product and 

 durability of the trees are the African and Oglialoro. These trees are 

 possessed of great longevity, living to be three and four hundred years 

 old, and continuing to be green, healthy, and productive. The other 

 varieties do not attain so great an age, especially the Ferlese and Bian- 

 colino. 



A stony or calcareous soil is best for the olive. It must not be planted 

 in damp or clayey ground. Irrigation is not necessary ; in fact, it is 



