The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1851-11-11
The olive Tree in the South.

We see that Mr. r. Chisholm, of Beaufort,
South Carolina, is successfully cultivating the
olive tree, from plants procured in the neighbor-
hood of Florence, Italy. Mr.. Chisholm has also
made arrangements to obtain trees from Spain
Those he has bear abundantly every year. He
has not commenced the manufacture of olive
oil, except to the amount of a few bottles merely
~ an experiment
We are glad that this experiment to cultivate
30 valuable tree, of which one species is indigo
nous to the South, has succeeded so well. We are
glad, too, to see that South Carolina, whilst pre-
pairing for independent sovereignty without and
for war with her brethren, is not forgetful that
peace is somewhat necessary to nations exist.
ence and, accordingly, that she is preparing its
emblem, the olive branch, to be magnanimously
offered. no doubt, to the rest of the Union,
when South Carolinas chivalry shall have con-
quered it.
In order that we may be ready to exchange
such amicable insignia with her, when the time
arrives for so doing, some information on the
olive tree, and on the chances Of success for its
cultivation in this country, may not be deemed
out of place. From various good authorities we
have collected what follows:
A temperate, equable climate, with neither two
much heat nor cold and without sudden changes,
is required for the olive tree. 1t will bear a
steady, severe cold, but not quick and violent
change from mild to cold weather II is other
wise an extremely tough and hardy plant, very
long lived, and requiring some years growth be-
fore producing fruit In Europe il is not sue
cessfully cultivated north Of the forty-ifth de
gree of latitude. 1t grows in every kind of soil
except that which is marshy and is planted at
intervals of twenty or thirty feet, it requires
plenty of air and light 1t is multiplied by cut.
6 he H. a
from the seed, or from wild plants taken from the
woods, which are afterwards grated with the de-
sired variety. There are in all seventeen varie-
ties of the tree. The fruit ripens about the end
of November and is most abundant every second
year. The wood is yellowish, fine grained, hard,
and susceptible Of high polish but the tree is
too valuable in Europe TO be made great use Of
in ornamental carving or cabinet work.
The earliest accounts we have Of the introduc-
tion of the European tree into this country state
that colony of Greeks brought it with them
from their own country settled at New Smyrna,
in East Florida, and there, at very early period,
successfully cultivated the olive. The settlement
was afterwards abandoned; but in the year 1883
there remained on the spot several large olive
trees in vigorous health and growth.
This is an item Of American history that pro-
badly few persons are acquainted with. 1t has
singular interest attached to it. Ii would be
subject for n poem, such as Longfelow wrote
when he received an hour-Rlass filled with sand
from the great desert Of Sahara this picture Of
the sons of ancient Greece, the classic cline Of
liberty, imagination and art, setting forth on an
other Argonautic expedition, nnothe rsearch for
the agolden feece"-bearing with them the
Qoddess-cbosen emblem of their country, the
olive tree, the insignia Of peace as well as Of
glory, the tree that bore the leafy honors with
which the old poets, patriots and heroes were
crowned. Then to see our Greeks finally clus-
tering around their olive trees hardy roots in
new countrie" new land Of liberty--looking
out from beneath its frutcovercd branches on
The luxuriant evergreens and fragrant orange
groves of the virgin soil Of Florida, the sunny
and round whose forests and fountains the gal
ant Ponce de Leon has thrown glowing veil Of
Romance and chivalry
Besides the instance we have cited OF success
fol cultivation of the European olive in the
Southern States, we have others Of more recent
date which yrove that it is well adapted to, and
will succeed on the sea-coast of South Care lima
and Georgia. All the writers on the subject
appear TO be of the opinion that the European
tree will also grow well in Lower Louisiana
We do not know that any attempts at cultiva-
ling it have ever been made in this State.
The American oliye, indigenous to this coun-
Try, ia found scattered along the sea-coast, ex-
clusvely, from latitude 81 deg. north to Florida,
and along the shores Of the Gulf Of Mexico to
louisiana. II is not very plentiful, and is some
times called ''devil wood" on account of its ex.
,essive hardness, and the extreme difficulty with
which it is split. II grows on soils and expos
pres exceedingly different. On the sea shore il
rises with the live oak in the most barren and
Iultry spots; in other cool, fertile and shaded
.ituations il is seen with the big laurel the um-
brella tree, &c. The tree, or shrub rather, is
commonly from eight to twelve feet high; the
bark smooth and graysh the leaves four or
i've inches long, opposite and lanceolated, entire
It tho edge, smooth and brilliant on the upper
Iurface; and Of An agreeable light green color.