OLIVE. 
41 
tempted to reduce them to his power ; and, after 
wandering about for some time, came into Gaul, 
founded Marseilles, and applied themselves to the 
cultivation of the olive-tree. Pliny attributes to 
Aristseus the invention of millstones for bruising 
the olives, and of presses for extracting the oil. 
There are several different kinds of olive culti- 
vated for the sake of their fruit in the southern 
parts of Italy, and grounds are there set apart for 
the purpose. All parts of the tree are very pro- 
ductive ; abounding in suckers, and young shoots 
are continually pushing up from the roots. The 
best situation for an olive-ground is on the declivity 
of a hill, at a moderate height from the level of the 
sea, and with a southern aspect. The plants suc- 
ceed particularly well in sandy, stony, or volcanic 
lands ; and, on the contrary, produce but indifferent 
fruit when situated in clayey, moist, and swampy 
bottoms. It appears somewhat singular, that a tree 
which requires twenty or thirty years to arrive at 
its full growth, should be extremely sensible to the 
impression of cold. This, however, is the case 
with the olive, since all high situations are hurtful 
to the plant, and frost is often destructive to it ; 
especially if it has been preceded by moisture. 
On this account the careful planter covers the shoots 
of the first year with straw, as soon as the winter 
commences ; and thus shelters them from the cold 
north winds as long as he has any thing to fear from 
the severity of the weather. 
Although it is highly necessary to defend the 
