58 STATE BOARD OF HORTICULTURE. 



with it. Early in the season the olive may become quite 

 black before this condition is reached, but later, when the 

 weather gets cooler, the olive may be ' ripe' when per- 

 fectly 'green.' Immediately after being gathered the olives 

 are spread, one or two inches deep, on trays or racks, 

 which may be placed one above another, leaving space 

 for circulation of air, great care being exercised to prevent 

 them from heating (in which case the oil is spoiled for table 

 use), and when a sufficient quantity of moisture has been 

 evaporated they are ready for the crushing mill, which, with 

 its appurtenances, must be made of materials which cannot 

 absorb odors metal and stone, as much as possible, being 

 used and the same care and cleanliness exercised in making 

 the oil must be continued until it is in the bottle. After the 

 olives are crushed (which is done under stone or iron rollers 

 that are made to revolve in a large stone or iron basin in 

 which about three hundred and fifty pounds of olives are 

 placed and which constitutes a l charge'), the pulp is placed 

 in a tub of proper size, made of very narrow staves placed 

 a little distance apart and bound with strong steel hoops 

 which are hinged so that on being opened the pomace may be 

 easily removed, and a light pressure brought to bear on it, and 

 an oil of first quality, or 'virgin olive oil,' is produced. The 

 pomace is then removed and recrushed and again subjected to 

 pressure sufficient to secure a second grade of oil. It may 

 be again crushed, at the same time adding hot water to assist 

 in liberating the remainder of the oil, when a still greater 

 pressure is used. This gives an inferior grade, which is used 

 for light or lubricating. There yet remains some oil in the 

 pomace, which may all be utilized by the soapmaker in the 

 manufacture of castile soap. The residuum is applied as a 

 fertilizer. In the process of pressing the pulp, the fruit juice 

 and oil, with a considerable quantity of pulp, runs from the 

 presses into large tin tanks. The oil gradually rises to the top 

 and is skimmed off and poured into the settling tanks, where it 

 must remain for from sixty to ninety days, when a natural pre- 

 cipitation will have thrown down nearly or quite all foreign 

 matter, and the oil is ready to pass through a filter, which is 

 made by lining a conical bag, made of heavy filtering felt, with 

 several thicknesses of white cotton-batting. It is again 

 filtered through druggist's filtering mats, after which it is ready 



