THE OLIVE IN ASIA MINOE. 599 



Picking. — About the end of November the harvest begins. 



PicMrig.—The best time for pickling green olives is the end of Sep- 

 tember, always after the first rain ; and the best time for pickling ripe 

 black olives is the end of November, during the harvest. 



Oil manufacture.— Sext step, after picking, the olives are sent to the 

 mills for grinding as soon as possible. 



The Mityleuists pat the green olives in fresh water for five or six 

 days and change it every day ; after that they cork the olives in jars 

 with pickle. They prepare black olives for table use in the common 

 manner, in pickle. 



The process for extracting oil is as follows : After the olives become 

 pulverized by grinding under millstones they are put in goat's-hair 

 bags and pressed in either iron or wooden presses, and the oil is put 

 into large earthen jars, barrels, or skins, for sale. 



Maturity.— The trees commence fruiting the fifth year after planting. 



Yield.— The average yield per acre per annum of mature trees is $25 

 to $30. 



Planting and propagating.— The trees are planted at a distance of 

 25 feet from each other, and are propagated by the planting of branches 

 or striking from branches ; by the planting of pieces of root ; by the 

 cultivation of wild olive trees and transplanting to the field, and from 

 seed. 



Insect pests. — Insect pests do not exist. 



W. C. Emmett, 

 Consul. 



United States Consulate, 



Smyrna, January 15, 1890. 



ASIA MINOR. 



BEPOXT BY CONSUL STEVENS, OF SMTSNA. 

 [Republished from Consular Eeports No. 41J.] * 



Situation. — The olive is not as extensively cultivated here as in the 

 islands of the Archipelago and Mediterranean — the Sporades, Cyclades, 

 and loniau Islands. The reason for this is easily understood. The olive 

 tree will not thrive inland ; it must be planted near the sea-coast. Plan- 

 tations are prepared in this manner: Vigorous young trees, which grow 

 wild upon the sides of the neighboring mountains, aretaten up and trans- 

 planted in the plain or hill-side. After remaining two years in the field 

 they are grafted. Seven or eight years after the grafting process they 

 begin to bear, reaching the maximum of productiveness from the eight- 

 eenth to the twenty-fifth year. They yield every other year. When 

 156a U 



