20 BULLETIN 803, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 
these experiments are summarized in Table 5. Briefly, the results 
of these experiments showed that pickling has little effect on the size 
of the olives or on the percentage of pits. The solids in the flesh, 
starting with fresh 
olives, fall 5 or 6 per 
cent. The oil in the 
flesh undergoes little 
change, or decreases 
very slightly. Some 
notable exceptions to 
this rule were un- 
doubtedly due, for 
the most part, to poor 
sampling. The addi- 
tion of salt raises the 
ash content, but the 
original salt-free ash 
vores is partially leached 
Fic. 9.—Percentage increase in oil content of fruit flesh of Z 
Ascolano olives taken from one grove in 1916. out. The solids not 
oil show a notable 
decrease from the fresh fruit, dropping 5 or 6 per cent, which accounts 
for a_corresponding diminution in total solids. This loss consists 
mostly of soluble carbohydrates and probably the bitter glucoside. 
Up to nearly 4.5 per cent reducing sugar, calculated as dextrose, 
which disappears en- 
tirely during pic- 
kling, was found in 
fresh, ripe olives. 
The protein, which 
was determined in a 
few experiments, did 
not suffer notable 
change. Because of 
the loss of solids not 
oil, the percentage of 
oil in the flesh on the 
dry basis is largely 
° ats » \ \ 
increased, rising & N 5 
from about 60 
~ Per Fic. 10.—Percentage increase in oil content of fruit flesh of 
cent for fresh, ripe Nevadillo olives taken from one grove in 1915. 
fruit to a value 10 
or 12 per cent higher after pickling. In some cases the fact that the 
loss in solids and gain in oil on the dry basis are less is due to the fact 
that the fruit had been previously shipped or held in brine, causing a 
loss of solids not oil before the experiment was begun. 
