530 



OLEAGINOUS PLANTS, 



Portugal and Spain, suftered to lie on the ground in heaps iintii 

 half putrified, then put into uneleaned presses, and the oil squeezed 

 through the filthy residuum of former years. Grood table oil 

 might be made, if care were taken, as in Erance and Lucca, to 

 pick the olives without bruising them, and to press only those 

 that were sweet and sound. But such oil would ill suit the palate 

 of a Maroqueen, accustomed to drink by the pint and the quart 

 the rancid product of his country. 



The olive is the great staple of Corfu, which has, in fact, the ap- 

 pearance of an extensive olive grove. It produces annually about 

 200,000 barrels. Olive oil is also produced for the purposes of 

 commerce, and for local consumption, by France, Algiers, Tuscany^ 

 Spain, Sardinia, Portugal, Madeira, and South Australia. 



Olive plantations are extending considerably both in Upper 

 and Lower Egypt. Large quantities of trees were planted under 

 the direction of Ibrahim Pasha. 



The olive tree might be expected to be quickly matured at the 

 Cape. The native olive, resembling the European, is of spon- 

 taneous growth and plentiful, so that if the Spanish or Italian 

 tree were introduced, there is no doubt of its success. The wood 

 of the olive is exceedingly hard and heavy, of a yellowish color, 

 a close fine grain, capable of the highest polish, not subject to 

 crack nor to be affected by worms. The root, in consequence of its 

 variety of color, is much used for snuff-boxes and similar bijouterie. 



The wood is beautifully veined, and has an agreeable smell. It 

 is in great esteem with cabinet makers, on account of the fine 

 polish of which it is susceptible. 



The sunny slopes of hills are best suited to its natural habits. 

 Layering is the most certain mode of propagating this fruit, 

 although it grows freely from the seed, provided it has fii^st been 

 steeped for twelve hours in hot water or yeast. 



Olives intended for preservation are gathered before they are 

 ripe. In pickling, the object is to remove their bitterness and 

 preserve them green, by impregnating them with a brine, Eor this 

 purpose various methods are employed. The fruit being gathered 

 are placed in a lye, composed of one part of quicklime to six of 

 ashes of young wood sifted. Here they remain for half a day, 

 and are then put into fresh water, being renewed every 24 hours ; 

 from this they are removed into a brine of common salt dissolved 

 in water, to which add some aromatic plants. The olive will in 

 this manner remain good for twelve months. Eor oil, the ripe 

 fruit is gathered in November ; the oil, unlike other plants, being 

 obtained from the pericarp, and immediately bruised in a mill, the 

 stones of which are set so wide as not to crush the kernel. The 

 pulp is then subjected to the press in bags made of rushes ; and, by 

 means of a gentle pressure, the best or virgin oil flows first. A 

 second, and afterwards a third quality of oil is obtained, by 

 moistening the residuum, breaking the kernel, &c., and increasing 

 the pressure. Yfhen the fruit is not sufficiently ripe, the recent 

 oil has a bitterish taste, and when too ripe it is fatty. 



