54 



The finest kinds of oils have hitherto come from 

 Provence, Florence, Lucca, and Aix; the commoner 

 from the Levant, Mogador, Spain, Portugal, and Sicily. 

 It is, however, significant that where the oil has 

 a high reputation, strict investigation will, in the 

 majority of cases, elicit the fact that in those localities 

 the cultivation and manufacture are conducted with 

 unusual care and intelligence. Nor does it appear that 

 the costliness of the appliances has much, if anything, 

 to do with the quality of the produce ; for (coming 

 very much nearer home than Europe), I find from 

 information obligingly afforded me by the Hon. Precl. 

 P. Barlee, Colonial Secretary of Western Australia, that 

 in that colony excellent oil is made, principally by 

 Spanish monks, who adopt precisely the same course of 

 treatment as is described by Dr. Wm. Thomson, in " The 

 " Land and the Book," as in vogue for ages among the 

 Arabs. Anything more primitive than these appliances 

 (which are shewn in Illustration M) cannot be con- 

 ceived ; and yet Mr. Barlee assures me that they have 

 "answered admirably" with them, and "have produced 

 as fine an oil as could be desired." 



To revert to the subject of "manufacture" to which 

 this chapter is devoted — So soon as all exudation of oil 

 from the first pressing ceases, the screw is reversed, and 

 the bags removed and emptied. The pressed pulp being 

 put carefully aside, and the bags refilled, pressure is 

 again applied, and the process repeated until the whole 

 crushing has gone through the mill. 



The Marc, which has thus been once pressed, is 

 then thoroughly separated, and stirred up with boiling 

 water, and the process of pressing renewed ; this time the 

 pressure being increased, though still gradual and steady. 

 This second oil is nearly as good as the first, but apt to 

 become rancid in time. The principal of the oil after 

 this second process, is skimmed off the water in the 

 receivers ; but entire separation takes a long time, and, 

 when it is complete, the process is reversed by the water 

 being drawn off from below. 



