SAMUEL RAE & CO. — LEGHORN, TUSCANY. 



25 



olive-trees of the best kinds, the Ra:(^io 

 olive Largely prevailing. There is an 

 ample supply of pure spring water, and, 

 moreover, the greatest attention is de- 

 voted to the culture of the trees and to 

 the process of oil-making. But there 

 can be no question that the special ex- 

 cellence of the oils grown here is largely 

 due to the influence of the soil. 



The produce of these two districts 

 (which is generally called Liicca Oil, 

 though in this matter Pisa is fully on a 

 par with the sister province), when of 

 the best quality, is distinguished by its 

 fine golden color and delicate taste. It 

 is absolutely free from any tainted smell 

 or tendency to rancidness, and will re- 

 tain its freshness and sweetness longer 

 than any other growth of olive oil. 



The respective merits of different 

 growths of olive oil is a subject of con- 

 troversy amongst rival growers and 

 exporters ; still, it is hardly to be won- 

 dered at if each district claims the supe- 

 riority for its own produce. 



As regards the oils exported from 

 France, in the main, they are not of 

 French, but of Italian origin. France im- 

 ports some five or six million gallons 

 a year of Italian olive oil ; her own pro- 

 duction is small and quite inadequate 

 to supply the home market. Moreover, 

 to those who are connoisseurs of the 

 article and acquainted with the various 

 growths of Italy, the fact is patent that 

 the greater part of such so-called French 

 oil is simply Bari and Riviera oil. It is 

 at least a curious coincidence that much 

 of the olive oil in bottles exported to the 

 United States from France is simply 

 called ''olive oil" on the labels, with- 

 out anything being specified as to its 

 origin. 



The chief demand in France is for 

 the oils of the districts of Bari and the 



Riviera (Genoa), which are very much 

 cheaper than those of Tuscany and just 

 as much inferior. But it is a suggest- 

 ive fact, which admits of proof, that 

 buyers from Aix in Provence, France, 

 actually come to Tuscany every year 

 to make their purchases of fine Tuscan 

 oil. These buyers are well aware that 

 neither in their own district, the depart- 

 ment of Var, nor in any other section 

 of France, is there any olive oil pro- 

 duced which will compare with good 

 Tuscan oil. 



We have seen it stated in the circu- 

 lars and announcements of those en- 

 gaged in the trade, that the olive oil 

 exported from Bordeaux is produced 

 either in Provence or the districts of 

 Nice and Genoa ; and that these are 

 the finest oils in the world ; as for 

 Tuscan oils, they are nowhere in 

 comparison. 



The same statements are repeated in 

 a recent Report from the United States 

 Consulate at Bordeaux, on '' Bordeaux 

 Olive Oil." It says: " Most of the olive 

 oils exported from this consular district 

 come from the department of Var, in 

 south-eastern France, and the country 

 surrounding Genoa, Italy, and are re- 

 spectively known as the ' huile d'Aix ' 

 and 'huile de Nice.' Large quantities 

 of olive oil are produced in Tuscany, 

 but, owing to the quality, find little 

 demand on this market." 



As to the latter statement, it may be 

 remarked that buyers in America, or 

 other countries, when they want Tus- 

 can olive oil, go to the fountain-head 

 for it, to Leghorn, the seaport of Tus- 

 cany, whence all its products are ex- 

 ported direct, and not to Bordeaux. 

 But it is sufficiently curious that Genoa 

 oil should actually be conveyed to Bor- 

 deaux, only to be re-exported thence, 



