March, 1907 



AMERICAN HOMES AND 



GARDENS 



A Glimpse of the Ranch House and the Garden 



well adapted to it. It would be interesting to trace an orchard 

 of this kind from its inception to bearing, and we shall doubt- 

 less find that it is not ail couleur de rose. There are pests 

 which prey on the olive distracting to the grower, and a 

 variety of troubles and annoyances which must be expected in 

 any business. 



In planting, the olive rancher has arranged to have his 

 crops come at different times, this being rendered possible 

 by using different varieties. The trees grow rapidly, and in 

 four years the first crop comes, and in the fifth more, and after 

 that the tree may be said to be at its best for many years. The 

 olives with which the East is familiar are, as they appear, 

 green — picked before they are ripe for pickling, and con- 

 sidered a great dainty, but the Californian considers the 

 black, dead-ripe olives the best eating, and while the taste is 

 an acquired one it is soon established. 



When the time for picking comes, the grove, orchard, or 

 ranch, has an especial interest; gangs of men, Indians, Mexi- 

 cans, or Chinamen, gather and proceed down the grove. 

 Long ladders enable them to reach the higher trees. Each 

 man has swung about his neck a canvas bucket, flat on one 

 side to fit his body, as the olive must not be injured. 



It Is even picked with both hands. When the bag Is filled 

 the picker descends and empties the berries Into a box. 

 They are then placed in a fanning mill which removes 



all dirt or dust. Cleanliness is the watch- 

 word in all olive culture. 1 he pickers make 

 rapid headway, and soon hundreds of gal- 

 lons of berries are picked. 1 he observer 

 will notice that during all the picking four 

 different stages have been picked — green, 

 reddish, ripe, and dead ripe. Those for 

 pickling are hard, but of full size, and are 

 placed in vats half full of water. From 

 here they go to the pickling vats, a some- 

 what delicate operation, if the rich green 

 tint of the olive is to be preserved in all its 

 purity. This accomplished they pass on to 

 the bottling department. The pickling of 

 the dead ripe olives is another process re- 

 quiring great care. 



In December, or when the olive begins 

 to assume a purple shade — or reddish pur- 

 ple. It is considered ripe enough to pick for 

 the oil. At this season one may see the 

 same general process which was In vogue a 

 thousand years ago — namely, the crushing 

 of the olives. The olives are allowed to 

 remain on the trees until the last moment as 

 they then produce the maximum amount of oil; this gives 

 quantity, but for the finest oil the maker picks the olives 

 sooner, or when they are hard. All the old Missions had 

 their crushers, and some can be seen to-day. The olives are 

 now arranged in trays through which the air can circulate, 

 to remove a part of the moisture. Then they are ready for 

 the mill, which is a big wheel of iron or stone worked in a 

 stone or iron basin by man or horse in former years, now by 

 steam. 



The mill is charged with about three hundred and fifty 

 pounds of olives, and like the mills of God it grinds slowly. 

 The pulp Is placed in tubs, the staves of which are narrow 

 and a short distance apart. Pressure is brought to bear upon 

 this. The resultant oil, the first or virgin oil, is the best. 

 The pulp Is taken out, replaced and pressed again, pro- 

 ducing a second grade, and there may be a third or fourth 

 grade. This is a most interesting operation, and the per- 

 fume, or the bouquet. Is delicious. The entire work is Im- 

 maculate; dust, foreign odors, anything likely to contam- 

 inate the oil being carefully removed. 



The absolute purity of the oil, and the care taken to pro- 

 duce It, are nowhere more admirably exemplified than in the 

 filtering room. The oil and some pulp are caught in tin 

 tanks where the oil rises to the surface, and like cream is 

 skimmed off and poured into settling tanks, where It remains 



