17 



or be crushed on shares. Unlike sugar-cane, the crop is 

 compact and portable ; and with common precautions, 

 can be kept without deterioration for a considerable time 

 after gathering — the great advantage of this last-men- 

 tioned qualification being, that the farmer, after harvest- 

 ing his crop, could cart it to the mill and convert it into 

 money or money's worth at his leisure. 



Sir William Macarthur, in advocating the cultivation 

 of the Olive for New South Wales, says — " If our agri- 

 " culturists generally, our smaller farmers even, did but 

 cc know what a comfort it is to have in a family a good 

 " supply of fine Olive oil — how palatable and nourishing 

 u it is — how it ought, and in many countries does, supply 

 " the place of fat, lard, and butter, in cookery — how 

 " much more wholesome it is, and withal how simple 

 " and inexpensive is the cultivation of the tree, and the 

 " preparation of sufficient oil for home use — it would 

 ££ soon become plentiful in the farm-house, instead of 

 " being looked upon with at best but a momentary 

 " curiosity." X 



The popular belief that the Olive is a slow growing 

 tree, and that it takes many years to come into bearing, 

 must be considerably modified by facts deducible from 

 the experience of modern growers. By careful selection 

 of variety to suit climatic and other considerations, and 

 with intelligent cultivation, the Olive has proved itself 

 to begin to be productive as early as the orange, although 

 it takes a few more years than the orange before reaching 

 the limit of productiveness. There need be no discour- 

 agement to the grower from the slowness with which 

 his Olive trees arrive at maturity, unless he plants indis- 

 criminately as to variety, and does not pay reasonable 

 attention to aspect, character of soil, and other conside- 

 rations, which would be allowed to have their full effect 

 in the planting of bananas, peaches, and other fruits of 

 ephemeral value. 



B 



