THE OLIVE 13 



Gallons. 



1880 86,000,000 



1881 34,600,000 



1882 56,800,000 



1883 41,300,000 



1884 46,800,000 



188o 47,000,000 



1886 64,3(X),000 



which woukl uveraoe about fittv-four million oallons annually. The 

 ex]:)ort lias been steady for the last ten years at abont twenty mil- 

 lion gallons. The population is twenty-eight millions. The area 

 of the whole kingdom is one hundred and twelve thousand square 

 miles, and that devoted to olives is two million two hundred and 

 fiftv thousand acres. 



For Spain it is much more difficult to reach the truth. The 

 population of Spain and Portugal is twenty-two millions, the 

 surface ai-ea of the two kingdoms is two hundred and thirtv-three 

 thousand square mile5^^ more than double that of Italy, and five mil- 

 lion acres are given up to olive culture. The very reasonable esti- 

 mate of Senor Tablada would give a product of one hundred and 

 fifty million gallons of oil for the annual yield of Spain. The ex- 

 port is only ten million gallons. The explanation of this is that 

 the consumption of oil and olives is very much greater there than 

 anywhere else in the Avorld, and also that Sj^anish oil is made in 

 such a slovenly Avay that the world will not take it, and it must be 

 consumed at home. Olives are often piled up in a heap and left to 

 rot for six months or a year before being pressed. This suits the 

 national taste; thev like strono- or rancid oil, but it is not a market- 

 able product and has to be consumed at home. 



France has a population of thirty-eight millions, an area of two 

 hundred and four thousand square miles, of which only three hun- 

 dred and seventy-five thousand acres are given up to the cultiva- 

 tion of the olive. The annual 2)roduct of oil is only nine million 

 gallons. 



