Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-05-18
Olive Culture

The phenomenal success Of olive cul-
ture in California during the past few
years is attracting good deal Of atten-
ton. Although the olive has been grown
for more than two centuries in South
America, Mexico and Southern California
interest has been revived in its culture
which had been almost discontinued, and
now there are many young orchards on
the Pacific coast, and the production Of
oil and fruit each year is a considerable
source of profit.
The olive is one OF the earliest trees
mentioned in antiquity. In Europe and
Asia it is Of slow growth, requiring from
20 to 90 years to come into bearing, but its
longevity is likewise great. Ancient
groves are by no means uncommon.
Eight trees in the garden of Gethsemane,
Jerusalem, are believed to be over TWO
thousand years old. In California, how
ever, the olive comes into bear
ing in from six to ten years. and be-
comes then source of profit. One grove at
Santa Barbara produced in its eighth year
over 40 gallons of oil per tree on its best
trees. One hundred trees may be grown
to advantage on an acre of land, and it is
claimed will produce easily at the age of
10 to u years from 5000 to 5000 gallons of
oil, worth 81 % per gallon in the San
Francisco market.
The olive was introduced on the coasts
OF South Carolina and Georgia, and per-
haps Florida, prior TO the revolutionary
war. 1t proved perfectly hardy and fruit
frr1 hit
siderable extent. The best known groves
were on st. Simon's and Cumberland
Islands. Quite number Of ancient olive
trees are still standing on the Dungeness,
I estate on the southern end of Cumberland
Island. A very good article of oil was
/ made from olives obtained from that
grove few years ago by several gentle
/ men in this city, and it found ready
sale. Some years ago an Ital-
ian from New York visited Dungeness.
having made arrangements with the agent
Of the estate to gather the fruit. 1t is
stated that the olives were so plentiful
that he could scarcely obtain enough bar
rels in Fernandina to ship them in. He
said they cost him less than potatoes,
While the oil obtained from them was sold
by him for quite handsome sum.
The olive is easily propagated, being
readily reproduced by means of cuttings.
layers, or prOtuberances like the null ber-
ry. The hardest trees are obtained by
grating the choice varieties on seedlings.
The cost of establishing an orchard Of one
| acre containing one hundred trees would
probably not exceed a hundred dollars, as
/ the land can be used during the first six
or eight years for gardening, which will
much more than pay for the cultivation
/ and fertilization necessary to insure the
thrifty growth Of the trees.
In six years the trees will begin to yield
fruit which can be used for picking until
the production becomes sufficient to make
the manufacture of oil an object. In some
parts of Europe and Asia the manufacture
of olive oil is scarcely more complex or
expensive than cider making. A few
olive growers might unite and establish a
irst-class oil mill which would enable
them to get a much larger quantity of oil
than by the primitive method. such a
plant can be established for from 81. 200 to
$1,000, including substantial building,
The demand for olive oil is far greater
than the supply. Cotton-seed and
other less palatable oils are only sub
stituted for it from necessity. The in
! creased use Of cottOn-seed for fertilizing
| purposes and its consequent increase in
price will probably prevent the oil made
from it from ever competing with olive oil
in the markets of the world, although it is
now largely used as an adulterant Of that
article. Lard oil is used for the same
purpose, but pure olive oil can always be
sid at a price that will make its produc-
ton extremely profitable.