18 



BULLETIN 803, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



Fig. 



6. — Percentage increase in oil content of fruit flesh 

 of Mission olives from various groves in 1916. 



sideration Groves H and I, and also probably Fi, none of which is 

 normal, it would seem that the fruit which is poorer in oil may be con- 

 sidered fully mature by November 15, with a minimum of something 



over 17 per cent of oil 

 in the flesh. From 

 the data now at hand 

 it appears, then, that 

 17 per cent of oil in 

 the flesh may be taken 

 as a tentative mini- 

 mum standard for 

 maturity in the case 

 of Mission olives. 



The development of 

 the Manzanillo vari- 

 ety is shown in figure 

 T, in Avhich but few 

 groves are represent- 

 ed, as this olive is not 

 as important as the 

 Mission. The fruit in Grove B appeared subnormal, since it was prac- 

 tically too small to pickle. Compared to the Manzanillos described in 

 Table 2, it seems not unlikely that these crops of 1915 and 1916 may 

 have been unusually low in oil. Analyses in the literature,^ however, 

 show that the oil in 

 the flesh of this vari- 

 ety averages 2 or 3 

 per cent less than in 

 the Mission. From 

 the diagram in fig- 

 ure 7 it appears that 

 15 per cent of oil in 

 the flesh may be 

 taken as a tentative 

 minimum standard 

 for maturity. 



Of the Sevillano 

 and Ascolano olives 

 represented in figures 

 8 and 9, it may be said 

 that these are newer 

 varieties, and constitute but a very small percentage of the crop. Few 

 analyses are available on them. Since they become extremely soft 

 when fully mature, they must be picked when in a comparatively 



o4: 































> 



<^^ 



■• Stef 



^' 





/J 



/^ 





^ _ 



^^^ 







S 



/ 

























Fig. 7. — Percentage increase in oil content in fruit flesh 

 of Manzanillo olives taken from various groves in 1916. 



1 Kept, of Work of Agr. Exp. Sta., Univ. Calif., 1898-1901, pp. 263-307. 



