8 THE OLl\'E. 



sea. \\'ith everv breath of wind the dull gray leaves <>'leam 

 peculiarh^ and the moon's silver ra\-s glitter among the foliage. 

 The moon's long path over the water seerns to be instinct with 

 life, undulatingwith the waves, following them intheir course, 

 and breaking with them into glittering loam on the shore. 

 Tlie flowering season of the Olive is in Ma-\' or June. 

 The trees are then thickly covered with small, yellowish- 

 white flowers, which emit a pleasant, migonette-like per- 

 fume. These flowers remind us of those of the Privet, 

 l.{g'2is/riiiii z'lt/o-arr, a shrub whicli is closeh' related to 

 the Olive. The unripe fruits ol tlie Olive are green, and 

 are therefore inconspicuous among the foliage : but as 

 thev ripen they become blue-black, and stand out dis- 

 tinctly, especialh' when the crop is good. lieav^' crops 

 are expected ever\' five ^-ears. The aspect of tlie whole 

 tree is altered wlien thus laden with the oval berries which 

 peep out everywhere from among the foliage. In form 

 and colour ripe olives are not unlike our sloes. Accor- 

 ding to an ancient custom, not now universally obeyed, 

 the olive harvest should begin on November 21 *'■ It 

 lasts through the whole winter and js at its height in 

 February and March, though when the crop has been 

 retarded by unfavourable conditions, trees laden with 

 fruit may be seen even in April in the higher districts. 

 Then men and women are to be seen with sacks and 

 baskets wending their way along the paths which lead 

 to the Olive groves. Here the men climb up into the 

 trees and strike the branches with long rods. The wan- 

 derer in the Olive grove hears this rattling sound on all 

 sides, and from time to time there is the sharp crack of 



