92 THE MOUNTAINS 



olive which maintains the supreme place in 

 the scene, and which has the most compre- 

 hensive and the most practical relation to 

 the actual life of the people. There are 

 several kinds of olive oil which are used 

 as food, and there are cheaper kinds which 

 are used in many important industries; 

 then the wood is used in making not only 

 furniture, but also all sorts of artistic 

 objects; then the branches and roots are 

 used for fuel. In spite of the incoming 

 of American petroleum, the olive tree 

 would, some believe, more than hold its 

 own if only it were jealously protected; 

 but the Italian authorities, f oolish beyond 

 measure, allow the sneaking hunters to 

 shoot, literally by the thousand, the song 

 birds which are the natural guardians of 

 the tree. 



In October the fruit of the olive begins 

 to ripen, turning first from green to plum 

 purple, and then becoming almost black, 

 but with a rich bloom. By December the 

 harvest is on, and it continues for several 



