396 



OLIVE OIL. 



tion of olive oil than is displayed here, the " virgin oil " obtained from 

 the fruit when first pressed is carefully separated, as being of a better 

 quality than that which is procured by the application of hot water to 

 the bruised fruit, and by the application of greater pressure. But the 

 quantity of virgin oil produced in these islands is quite insignificant, 

 although it is of excellent quality. All the oil that can be squeezed 

 out of the olives by means of the antiquated machinery still in use is 

 generally poured into one common tank and left to clarify as best it 

 may ; or, at most, the olives are roughly sorted, the inferior ones being 

 made into oil for the soap-boilers. The fruit, whether ripe, over-ripe, 

 half-green, or wholly rotten, or whether it may have been knocked 

 down by the beaters' canes, or blown down by the wind and rain in 

 stormy weather, and trodden under foot, is too commonly all picked 

 up about one time by the women and children who are employed at 

 the gathering season. It is then, after being sorted or not, as the case 

 may be, crushed under the millstone, and the oil di-awn by the appli- 

 cation of boiling water. The refuse of the olives after the last crushing, 

 which is far from getting out all the oil contained in the pulpy mass, 

 is used to feed the fires required to boil the water. Probably, nowhere 

 may be seen more magnificent olive trees, or better olives, than those 

 grown in these islands ; but the oil, from being unrefined, is often 

 acrid in taste and inferior to that of other countries. 



Syria. — Olive oil is produced throughout the country, but chiefly 

 on the plains of Safet, Nazareth, and Nablono. The average produce 

 is estimated at about 7000 tuns. In 1871 about 1800 were exported, 

 and prices ranged from 60Z. 10s. to 41Z. 10s. per tun. The plantations 

 are being extended principally on the coast line between Latakia and 

 Jaffa, the climate of which is peculiarly adapted for olive cultivation. 

 Nearly half a million of new trees are said to be annually planted 

 throughout the country. The quality of the finer sort of oil is found 

 equal to the Italian, while that from the neighbourhood of Sidon is 

 said to rival the finest qualities that Europe can produce. About one 

 half of the oil is consumed in soap-making, one quarter in eating 

 and burning, and the remaining quarter is exported chiefly to France. 

 The oil press used is the rude native one, and there is but one Euro- 

 pean press in the country. 



The exports of olive oil from Greece were in — 



Ocques. Ocques. 



1871 9,213,257 1873 G, 381, 471 



1872 2,592,513 1871 2,919,421 



Like most other trees that have been cultivated for a length of time, 

 the olive has produced numerous varieties; different countries, or 

 even different districts, cultivating their peculiar favourite. 



The variety longifolia and its many sub-varieties are chiefly culti- 

 vated in France and Italy ; the variety latifolia and its sub-varieties 

 are those chiefly cultivated in Spain ; the fruit of the variety latifolia 

 is nearly twice the size of the common olive of Provence and Italy, 

 but the oil is greatly inferior. 



There are several varieties of olive, differing less in their fruit than 

 in the form of their leaves : two of these have been introduced into 



