720 FRUIT CULTURE IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES. 



MALAGA. 



REPORT BY CONSUL MAE8TON. 



* 



[Republished from Consular Reports No. 41|] 



Varieties. The province of Malaga produces but few olives, Cordoba 

 and Seville being the localities most favorable to their growth. I have, 

 however, obtained all the information possible at Malaga upon the 

 subject of olives, viz : 



There are two. kinds of olive trees which grow near Malaga, but not 

 to any great extent. The " verdialis w proudces the olives used for 

 making oil, while the olives from a tree called the u manzanilla" are 

 used for eating purposes. Olive trees begin to yield at ten years, and 

 at the age of fifteen years they are in their prime, and live for hun- 

 dreds of years. 



The " queen olive of commerce w is a splendid variety, and is pro- 

 duced in Cordoba and Seville, but not in the province of Malaga. 



Cultivation. The process of cultivation is plowing the ground, except 

 in the immediate neighborhood of the tree, where the ground is loos- 

 ened and broken by a hoe. 



Maturity. The older the olive tree the more it produces. 



Yield. I can get no estimate in this province as to the average yield 

 per acre. It is estimated here that trees of fifty years old may produce 

 from 200 to 400 pounds of olives, according to the richness of the land 

 and the care taken in the cultivation. Every 100 pounds of olives 

 is said to produce 25 pounds of oil. 



Planting. The trees are usually planted about 12 yards apart. 



Fielding. Olives for table use are put in very salt water, and, with 

 the addition of certain herbs and pimento, etc., remain until they are 

 fit for eating. The olives for making oil are ground into a kind of pulp, 

 and with the use of a press the oil is extracted. 



Situation. Hill-sides. Olive trees do not grow to any extent near 

 the sea-coast on account of the sea winds, which are injurious. 



Soil. Any soil will answer for the growth and production of olives. 

 They require 110 water except that produced by rain. 



Rain-fall. The annual rain-fall in Malaga for the four years ending 

 1883 was follows : 



Inches. 



1880 , 23.80 



1881 30.73 



1882 16.33 



1883 17.05 



Average rain for four years, 21.98 inches. 



Olive oil. It is very difficult, if not impossible, to determine the 

 average production of olive oil in Spain, for there are no statistics; 

 nevertheless 40,000,000 to 45,000,000 arrobas may be considered an 

 average crop, of which only about 5,000,000 arrobas are exported, the 



