ON THE CULTIVATION OF THE OLIVE. 225 



foreigners, which so few of them are able to comprehen d, and which 

 by all are considered mysterious, and outlandish. It is only to be 

 accounted for on the ground of their limited inventive abilities and 

 high powers of imitation. That a time-piece of this description would 

 be in demand in China, I am perfectly satisfied from inquiries made of 

 natives in various quarters. Chinese merchants say that they should 

 be retailed at about 5 or 6 dols. each. If I recollect rightly they can be 

 made in Connecticut at 2 dols. 50, which would afford sufficient profit 

 both for the mechanic and merchant. 



THE CULTIVATION OF THE OLIVE. 



BY DAVID SHEPHERD. 



The olive is supposed to have been originally a native of Asia, and 

 grows abundantly about Aleppo and Lebanon, but it is now naturalized 

 in Greece, Italy, Spain, and the South of France, where it has been 

 extensively cultivated for an unknown length of time, for the oil 

 expressed from its fruit. The wild olive is found indigenous in Syria, 

 Greece, and Africa on the lower slopes of the Atlas- The cultivated 

 one grows spontaneously in Syria, and is easily raised on the shores 

 of the Levant. Much attention has, of late years, been paid to olive 

 culture by the French in Algeria. Tuscany, the South of France, and 

 the plains of Spain, are the parts of Europe in which the olive was 

 first cultivated. The Tuscans were the first who exported olive oil 

 largely, and thus it has obtained the name of Florence oil ; but the 

 purest is said to be obtained from Aix in France. 



The olive in the western world followed the progress of peace of 

 which it was considered the symbol. Two centuries after the founda- 

 tion of Rome, both Italy and Africa were strangers to that useful 

 plant : it was naturalized in those countries, and at length carried 

 into the heart of Spain and Gaul. Its usefulness, the little culture 

 it requires, and the otherwise barren situations which it renders 

 productive, quickly spread it over the western face of the Appenines. 

 According to Humboldt the olive is cultivated with success in every 

 part of the old world, where the mean temperature of the year is 

 between 58 degs. and 66 degs. ; the temperature of the coldest month 

 not being under 42 degs., nor that of summer below 71 degs. These 

 conditions are found in Spain, Portugal, the South of France, Italy, 

 Turkey, and Greece. The olive also flourishes on the north-west of 

 Africa, but is not found south of the Great Desert, except in parts 

 of the Cape Colony where it has been introduced or grafted on- indi- 

 genous species. 



