47 



" ancients knew nothing of the screw, but employed 

 " beam-presses, as in the mutriifs. (See Illustration 31.) 



" Beam-presses are also employed in the m'aserah 

 " to this day, and I think the use of screws is quite 

 " modern. 



" There is no process whatever for clarifying the 

 " oil, except to let it gradually settle on the lees in the 

 " cisterns or large jars in which it is kept. 



" Certain villages arc celebrated all over the country 

 " for producing oil particularly clear and sweet, and it 

 " commands a high price for table use." 



The Mill on Oil farms generally takes the forms 

 given in Illustrations U, G, O, and _P; the only expla- 

 nation of which required is, that the stones must be of a 

 hard and unabsorbent description, such as granite. The 

 reason for this is obvious, for it can readily be seen, that 

 were the stones of a porous character, Ihey would soon 

 become saturated with oil, which, becoming rancid, 

 would taint all that it came in contact with. 



But, while the majority of mills are of this descrip- 

 tion, there are to be seen here and there, on large 

 plantations, and in mills to which no plantations are 

 attached, machinery of a more complicated and 

 expensive character. In these cases, steam or hydraulic 

 power is not infrequently used. In Spain the crushing 

 is sometimes performed by conical iron rollers moved 

 round on an oil-proof floor, on two little margins to 

 prevent the stone being crushed. 



There are also to be seen, but very rarely, steam 

 mills ; but the crushing is generally done by the Spaniards 

 in the old traditional stone mills. As they generally 

 keep their Olives till in a state of putrefaction before 

 crushing them, aiming more at quantity than quality, 

 the inferior appliances, being less costly, answer their 

 purpose better. 



Of late years, however, a new light seems to be 

 dawning upon them. They are awaking to the higher 

 profit to be obtained from manufacturing a superior 

 article ; and a few more enlightened among the growers, 



