OLIVE OIL AND ITS SUBSTITUTES. 



GENERAL DISCUSSION. 



STATISTICS OF TIIK OLIVE OIL TRADE. 



Nearly the entire amount of olive oil used in this country comes 

 from Italy, France, and California. The average annual total impor- 

 tation for the ten years next preceding 1901 was 803,716 gallons. Of 

 this amount Franco sent us annually an average of 257,586 gallons 

 and Italy 498,493 gallons. There are no means of ascertaining the 

 amount produced in California, but it is probably a great deal less 

 than the amount imported, as the California oil is scarcely known in 

 the eastern markets, and is by no means the only oil offered on the 

 western markets. Evidence of this is the fact that of 68 samples of 

 commercial oils bought outside of California but two were California 

 oils. On the other hand, of 29 samples of commercial oils bought in 

 California 13 were produced in California, 4 were French oils, and 12 

 were Italian oils. 



In 1897 Elwood Cooper a reported 2,500,000 olive trees in California 

 capable of producing, besides dried and pickled olives, 2,000,000 gal- 

 lons of oil. This amount, however, is greatly in excess of the present 

 production, owing to the fact that, as shown later, both the French 

 and Italian oils can be imported cheaper than the actual cost of pro- 

 duction of the California product. The above figures are of interest 

 in showing that California is capable of producing the entire amount 

 of olive oil consumed in this country. 



TABLE I. Importations and valuations of olive oil. 



before the State Fniil Growers 1 Association <>f California. 



77or) -2 9 



