The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1882-03-22
Olive Culture.
Eltpoo3 Cooper, IN the santo Bar6G1 Press.

from the French of Berthe, being &
history, culture, products, and the
eject on the public health, etc. l
translate as follows ::
The touching story of the f1igsJ OF
the dove from Noah's ark, related in
Genesis, proves the existence Of the
olive tree in the iearliest period of
the worlds history.
1t was a celebrated tree arong the
ancients. 1t held the first rank IN
their mythology; Minerva tsught the
Athenians now to prepare the fruit,
and they had most religious res~
spect for 1t. The oil was used most
ly in religious ceremonies by the az
clients. 1he 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 las.
mine family, with evergreen foliage,
small blossoms in clusters, and hav-
ing some likeness to the older tree
towering in June. l. can be propa,
gated in many ways, but the best
way is by planting the seeds, and it
is one which is practiced least. Ex-
cept in damp soils where its roots
rot, the olive grows everywhere. 1t
sccustoms iteelf to both dry and wet
climates. Gay and mud are indit>
tereat to it. Its long lite is proven
bal. In return it takes thirty years,
a mans life time, before it reaches its
full capacity for bearing fruit. OF
this tree, one Of the most valuable
gifts of nature, there exists 16 or II
species, all exotic. Its fruit is oval,
fleshy, with a hard woody seed en-
closing a kernel. The meat, fine and
covered with green skin before It's
maturity, sottens and becomes pur-
plish black in ripening; it is then
that they grind them IN the mill, then
put them in press to extract the
oil.
With some exceptions one may
say that the Mediterranean basin,
from the 35th degree to the 43d de-
gree OF latitude, is surrounded with
a belt OF olive trees. 1t is from this
region that all Europe receives its
olive oil Tor table use and tor light.
For either from some trouble in the
growth eR-seme perfection in the
manufacture, perhaps both, the Afri-
can coast produces very inferior ar.
tlcIes which can only be used for
lamp oil or grease.
Some of the islands of the Grecian
archipelago and the western shore of
the Adriatic produce better oil, but
destitute of sweetness and supplies
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,
extending from the promontory of
Saint Tropez in France, to Lavona
in Italy, in the Gulf OF Genoa, Nice
is situated, whose reputation for the
best oil has exceeded all other places
in the world.
From the Var to the Roya the val
legs 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 spring in the center of
France
This exceptional climate allows
the fruit to reach its perfect ripeness.
and, together with the method OF
manufacturing, gives the superiority
which the oil OF Nice, without cues
ton, has to>day over all other places.
The annual production Of this region
is valued, on an average, at tour or
five millions Kilograms. The harvest
begins in November and lasts until
April or MAY.
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 be-
ing bitten by frost, and in this case
the tree must be cut to the ground.
The uncertainty of the crops and
the biennial yield Of fruit cause the
high prices Of olive oil.
The olives gathered in the vicinity
of Nice are all sent to the mill to be
pressed into oil. They only pickle
those that would not make good oil,
and all the olives we have on our
table come from those regions where
they don't ripen. Tie bitter taste
they have in this state Is destroyed
by letting them soak in alkaline wa
ter; then by preserving them i'll brine
seasoned with different herbs. By
this preparation they become an
aperient food, but less nourishing
and less digestible.