RIPENING AND PICKLING OF CALIFORNIA OLIVES. 



17 



Fig. 



4. — Changes in weight of 100 Mission olives occur- 

 ring during ripening in 1916. 



Since the percentage of oil in the flesh appears to be the most val- 

 uable index of maturity, tlie data bearinp; on this subject have ])cen 

 represented graphi- 

 cally for the differ- 

 ent varieties of olives 

 in figures 5 to 10, 

 Each curve represents 

 the mean of all the 

 trees sampled in a 

 single grove. In 

 figure 5, represent- 

 ing Missions of 1915, 

 northern district, the 

 rapid increase of 

 oil seems to have 

 ended by the middle 

 of November, at 

 v^^hich time the fruit 

 could fairly be said 

 to be mature. The 

 poorest of the groves 

 shown had at least 17 

 per cent of oil in the flesh at that time. Turning to figure 6, 

 Missions of 1916, a great variation is seen. Some of the groves do 

 not merit much consideration. In Grove H, vs^hich is in an exposed 



situation on the 

 '^''^ ' ' ' ' ' ' coast near Carpen- 



teria, the olives ma- 

 tured very late and 

 never attained the 

 usual oil content for 

 that variety. Grove 

 Fi, v^hich is near by, 

 is more protected. 

 Grove I V5^as very 

 poorly cared for, 

 w\\h trees in bad 

 condition, and is de- 

 cidedly not normal. 

 Grove S, near Los 

 Angeles, appeared 

 to have attained its 

 maximum oil content on November 13. Although its oil content was 

 much lower than was that of many other groves, this grove was 

 healthy, flourishing, and scientifically cared for. Excluding from con- 



FiG. 5. — Percentage increase in oil content of fruit flesh of 

 Mission olives taken from various groves in 1915. 



