CALIFORNIA OLIVE CULTURE EXTRACTING OIL. 



67 



become hard the oil cannot be extracted. When the olives are 

 dried as I have described, I have not discovered any difficulty 

 in separating the oil from the solid mass of pulp." 



Time to Gather the Fruit for Oil Extraction.* "I 



commence picking in December, or as soon as the olives turn 

 a purple color some of them probably only a reddish color, 

 one side partially green, but ripe enough for making oil. They 

 require more drying then than they do in the month of March 

 or April, when the water will have evaporated mostly from the 



Gathering olives, showing the use of the " Titus" extension ladder on wheels. 



fruit while hanging from the limb. That, of course, has to 

 be governed by the intelligence of the person managing the 

 drying. It is supposed that the oil is of a lighter color made 

 earlier than it is when made later in the season; but as we 

 make it all in the same tank I do not apprehend there is very 

 much difference as to the color of the oil or as to the quality. 

 In Europe they dry the berries almost altogether in the sun- 

 light. In the coast counties here that is impossible, because 

 we may have a series of foggy days during the process of 

 drying which would render the work impossible." 

 *Hon. Ellwood Cooper, of Santa Barbara. 



