Am.  Jour.  Pharm.  1 
November,  1901.  J 
Olive  OH. 
559 
After  this  shaking  there  are  still  some  olives  remaining  on  the 
tree.  These  are  either  hand-picked  or  are  knocked  down  by  gently 
tapping  the  branches  with  a  long  pole.  When  the  fruit  is  all  down  it 
is  gathered  into  large  bags  in  which  it  is  carried  to  the  mill. 
THE  MILLS  USED  IN  GRINDING  THE  FRUIT. 
The  mills  in  use  today  for  the  crushing  of  olives  are  very  similar 
to  those  used  for  many  centuries.  One  of  the  largest  oil  mills, 
situated  in  the  suburbs  of  Nice,  France,  and  which  has  been  in 
possession  of  the  family  of  the  present  owner  for  a  great  many 
years,  is  still  being  used  with  perfect  satisfaction. 
THE  GRINDING  OF  THE  OLIVES. 
The  olives  are  thrown  into  large  stone  crushers  very  similar  to 
the  chasers  today  used  by  the  spice  millers,  with  beveled  edged 
millstones  to  fit  the  concave  bottom  of  the  container.  The  mill- 
stones are  attached  to  a  horizontal  bar  erected  in  the  centre  of  the 
bowl,  and  it  is  by  means  of  this  bar  that  the  stones  are  revolved. 
Some  mills  are  operated  by  steam  power,  but  more  certain  and 
satisfactory  results  are  obtained  by  animal  power,  which  is  gener- 
ally used,  as  the  olives  require  slow  and  careful  handling. 
The  millstones  can  be  regulated  so  as  not  to  crush  the  stone 
but  simply  to  reduce  the  fruit  to  a  paste-like  substance. 
After  this  has  been  accomplished  the  paste  is  transferred  to 
flattish  round  bags  loosely  woven  of  grass  and  in  which  it  is  taken 
to  the  presses.  These  bags  are  so  constructed  that  they  will  allow 
none  of  the  pulp  but  only  the  oil  to  pass  through  them. 
THE  PRESSES  AND  HOW  THEY  ARE  USED. 
These  bags  are  then  placed  on  wooden  platters  of  a  trifle  larger 
diameter,  having  handles  on  both  sides,  and  are  thus  placed  under 
the  presses  which  are  manipulated  on  very  much  the  same  order 
as  our  modern  cider  presses.  The  oil  is  forced  out  of  the  bags  and 
caught  up  by  drains  which  lead  into  large  vats.  Warm  water  is 
often  poured  through  the  presses  so  as  to  assist  the  flow  of  the  oil, 
and  when  it  reaches  the  vat  the  oil  can  easily  be  skimmed  off  of 
the  water. 
QUALITY  IS  THE  MOST  IMPORTANT  FACTOR. 
The  finest  quality  of  olive  oil  is  that  obtained  from  the  first  press- 
ing and  this  is  known  as  the  (oho  di  polpa)  pulp  oil,  or  "  Virgin 
oil,"  and  contains  nothing  but  the  pure  juice  of  the  olive. 
