, 1882-05-26
Olive Oil.

The following, from the French OF
BERTHE, will be interesting to many
of our readers
The touching story of the flight of
the dove from Noah's ark, related in
Genesis, proves the existence of the
olive tree in the earliest period Of the
worlds history.
1t was a celebrated tree among the
ancients. 1t held the first rank in
their mythology Minerva taught the
Athenians how to prepare the fruit,
and they had a most religious respect
for it. The oil was used mostly in
religious ceremonies by the ancients.
The Romans used the wood not only
as fuel, but on the affairs of their
gods it was the emblem Of peace.
The olive tree transported from
Egypt to Attica belongs to the jas
mine family, with evergreen foliage,
small blossoms in clusters, and hay
ing some likeness to the elder tree
Towering in June. 1t can be propa-
gated in many ways, but the best way
is by planting the seeds, and it is one
which is practiced least. Except in
damp soils where it's roots rot, the
olive grows everywhere. 1t accus-
toms itself to both dry and wet eli
mates. Clay and mari are Indifferent
to it. Its long life is proverbial. In
return it takes thirty years, a mans
lifetime, before it reaches its full ca
pacity for bearing fruit. OF this
tree, one of the most valuable gifts
of nature, there exist 16 or II species.
It's fruit is oval, heshy, with a hard
woody seed inclosing kernel, The
meat, fine and covered with a green
skin before its maturity, softens and
becomes purplish black in ripening.
1t is then that it is ground in the
mill and put in a press to extract the
oil. ''.- '..'. .T.." 'H' ''.'' .nN."
With some exceptions one may say
that the great Mediterranean basin,
from the 35th degree to the 45th de-
gree of latitude, ID surrounded with
a belt of olives. 1t is from this re-
gion that all Europe receives its olive
oil, for table use and for light. For
either, from some trouble in the
growth or some iinperfection in the
manufacture, perhaps both, the AT
rican coast produces very inferior ar
ticles, which can onlyube used for
lampoil or grease. hor, n..d q
Some of the islands of the Grecian
archipelago and the western shore Of
the Adriatic produce better oil, but
destitute of Sweetness and supple
ness, qualities most desired by con
sumers and only found in the oil
made in the valleys south of the Alps,
In the center of this region, extend
ing from the promont6ry of Saint
Tropez in France to Lavona in Italy,
in the gulf Of Genoa, Nice is situated,
whose reputation for the best oils has
echpsed all other places in the world.
From the Var to the Roya the valleys
that surround it are protected from
the north wind by the Alps. The
temperature of the winter, which is
the season the olive ripens, is the
same as that of spring in thecenter Of
France. This excellent climate al
lows the fruit to reach Its perfect
ripeness and, together with the meth
cd Of manufacturing, gives the supe-
riority which the oil OF Nice without
question has to-day over all other
places. The annual production of
this region is estimated at an average
of four or five million Kilograms.
The harvest begins in November and
lasts until April or May au.jIp Il
There is crop every two years and
lack of rain and intense cold combine
in killing the tree, There are many
instances of olive trees being bitten
by frost, and in this case the trees
mhst be cut to the ground. 4. l,gI
= The uncertainty of the crops and
the biennial yield of fruit cause the
high prices of olive oil. i Dos uH"i- ,inI
The olives gathered in the vicinity,
of Nice are all sent to the mill to be
pressed into oil, They only pickle
those that wonld not make good oil,
and all of the olives we have on our
table come from those regions where
they do not ripen. The bitter taste
is destroyed by letting them soak in
alkaline water then by preserving
them in brine sBasoned With different
herbs. BY this preparation vley be-
come an aperient food, but less nour-
ishing and, less digestible. II . =
One only needs to read a good cook
book to find in how many forms oil
can be usedAbut success in the con-
coction OF different dishes can only
be obtained by the use Of good oil.
Failure in such dishes has been many
times caused by rancid oil. ...., ''. :. q.
Rich in ozote and with considerable
inutritiye qualities, olive oil possesses,
in the first place, the power Of assim-
ilatihg with the humanpbody. Itais
instrumental In assisting in many
medicinal cures where the method is
c4taneous. 1t being more liquid than
animal fat, it is easier to absorb. The
injured parts, protected from the air
by oily substances or salves, heal
more quickly. These unctions give,
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