RIPENING AND PICKLING OF CALIFORNIA OLIVES. 



15 



slightly toward the end of the period in. question, while the percent- 

 age of solids in the flesh increases with a drop toward the end. Fig- 

 ures 2 and 4, however, give a more truthful idea of the actual prog- 

 ress of the growth of the olive. It is here seen that the actual weight 

 of the pits, which were fully formed at the earliest date, remains 

 practically constant. The 

 weight of ash in the flesh 

 rises very slightly, while 

 that of nonoil solids is 

 very nearly constant, or 

 rises somewhat. The 

 weight of the oil increases 

 markedly in the fore part 

 of the period and slightly 

 near the end, the weight 

 of solids in the flesh fol- 

 lowing closely the course 

 of the oil. The weight of 

 the flesh and the total 

 weight increa^se greatly 

 during ripening, with 

 some fluctuations for one 

 of the trees, and follow 

 each other. 



Summarizing these ob- 

 servations, during the 

 ripening, after the pit is 

 formed, the pits remain 

 practically constant while 

 the growth in the flesh con- 

 tinues, and the only con- 

 stituent of the flesh which 

 increases noticeably, aside 

 from water, is the oil. It 

 thus appears that the 

 amount of oil in the flesh must be the best index of maturity. The 

 same general changes were observed for other trees and other varie- 

 ties. As the season progressed the olives were found to increase in 

 size, the percentage of pits to decrease, and the oil in the flesh to in- 

 crease at first rapidly and then more slowly. The protein and ash 

 figures were not significant. A number of minor abnormalities were 

 apparent in the figures obtained. Sometimes the olives appeared to 

 decrease more or less in size, and again the percentages of oil and 



Fig. 



2. — Changes in weight of 100 Mission olives 

 occurring during ripening in 1915. 



