30 THE OLIVE 



The jealousy of the European olive countries has already been 

 noticed and the writer is stron^lv inclined to think that the olive 

 recommended to ]Mr. liedding and imported into this State by him 

 as the Picholine, may l)e one of the various forms of the wild olive. 

 (See Plate II.) Xote the similarity of growth, the size of the berry 

 and the stone, and of its general characteristics ; its extreme fecun- 

 ditv, its low stature and its hardiness in all situations. Now on 

 the other hand, we know that tlie real Picholine, in a favorable 

 soil, becomes a verv lari>:e tree, with its branches all well set on and 

 o'rowino* rei>ularlv, and not strai»ulino: out in the eccentric manner of 

 the wild olive. Without discussing this point farther and granting 

 that the olive wnerallv known in C alifornia as the Picholine is all 

 its advocates claim it to be, and that it is not the wild olive, it seems 

 so near akin to it that it is utterly useless to cultivate it for the pro- 

 ductio)i of oil for it will not repay one for the care and space in the 

 orchard given to it. The same (juantity of oil is pressed from one 

 Mission olive that is contained in five Picholines, one dried 

 Mission olive wei^Iiina; 2i«' urams and five dried Picholines, 

 weiii'hino* -i'^" irrams, showiuii; plainlv the difference of twentv 

 per cent, in favor of the Mission olive and exactly the same quanti- 

 ty of oil l)eing produced from each. Hence, the accepted Picholine 

 olive will give only eight per cent, of oil, and that of an inferior 

 quality, being largely made uj) from the essential oil contained in 

 the stones. But this olive 'throuii'h its extreme rusticitv and close 

 relationship to the wild olive is, without doubt, the very best possi- 

 ble stock upon which to graft, aiul so, although the introduction of 

 this plant \\v<x\ somewhat retard olive culture in this State, it mav 

 eventually prove a benefit. 



The NevadiUo Blanco or Doiicel is the Olea precox of Gouan. 

 It is a tree of good appearance with the branches well set on and 

 bowed over with the weight of the fruit which it wnerallv bears. 

 It is sensitive to cold and demands sheltered situations. It aives 



