Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1884-02-22
OLIVE Es.
Hardy PIant-DelIcious OII-Histor-
ICal Facts.


There existed formerly in there islands
an army of which it was said that it could
ego anywhere or do anything" The
olive is the living vegetable counterpart
of this extinct phenomenon. Within GER
tain ATTITUDES it will grow anywhere, and
serve for almost any purpose. On dry
and stony elevation that would starve out
a thistle, the plant luxuriates and if the
sea breezes may but fan the young shoots,
so much more of promise is there for the
olive harvest. Propagated chiefly by cut
tings, the "willowy" looking twigs take
root with proud defiance of ordinary
limitations, and there is a whimsically
planted grove Of olive trees of unusal size
and beauty near the town of Mesa, in
Morocco, which illustrates this trait in
remarkable way. One of the kings of
the dynasty of Saddia, being'on military
expedition, encamped here with his army
The pegs with which the cavalry picket
ed their horses were cut from olives in
the neighborhood, and some sudden cause
of alarm leading to the abandonment of
the position, the pegs were left in the
ground, and making the best of the sit
uation, developed into the handsomest
group of olive trees in the district. Olives
are mentioned in the earliest records OF
records Of Egypt, and their introduction
into Greece took place at least as early
as 1900 years before our era. Thence
their cultivation naturally passed into
Italy, the Romans especially prizing them;
while Virgil mentions three distinct var
ieties, each of which had its own fastiid-
Gus supporters in the ancient conflict of
the tastes. Pliny tells us that they also
grew in the heart Of Spain and France !;
though he awards the palm to the small
Ter olive Of Syria, the oil Of which was at
least more delicate than that produced
in the western countries. So far as re-
CARDS the oil of Spain, and to some eX-
tent that of Italy, this judgment stands
good to the present hour; for the reason
that the Spanish olive is a larger and
coarser fruit, while the italian growers
are too apt to detract from the limpid
delicacy Of the virgin oil by the sacri-
fee of quality to quantity. For the olive,
like all generous givers, demands that
you should "squeeze', him gently. The
oil is expressed from the entire pulp and
body of the fruit and its quality newt.
ably stands III inverse proportion to the
xuantity produced. The first pressure
yields n thin, pure liquid, almost color
less and with this even the most fastid
lous of English pnlates rarely makes ac
quaintance. AS the pressure is increased
less delicate product is the result
while if 1t is still further prolonged, {
rank and unwholesome residuum is oh
tanned wholly unfit for edible purposes
1t should be mentioned that the virgin
oil does not retain its freshness for NOR,
than a few weeks without the addition o
little salt or sugar and 1t is almost
impossible for any one to realize the ex
quisite delicacy of this first expression o
the freshly gathered olive unles he hsi
sOjourned in such district ls that o
which, say Avignon is the centre. Th
oil of Aramont in Provence, WAS former
ly supposed to have no equal in Europe
Both the olives and the manufacturer
oil of the southeast of France are, indeed
still unrivalled by those OF any othe
country. The Italians pay more respec
to the commercial aspects of their pro
duction, and among them the number O
olive-farmers and merchants is very large
; They have proyerb "If you wish t.
leave competency tie your grand-chil
dren, plant an olive" Doubtless the ad
vice is sound enough; for the trees ofte
flourish for more than "A century, an,
bear heavy crops to the last. But to tn
peasant Of southern France, the olive j
almost what the pig is to the Engls
laborer. Prudent housewives there ar
as avelse to the introduction OF new frui
at table as their thrifty English sister
are of the ''new" loaf. In fact, they ha
bitually preserve tie darker berries 70
every day use for these not being 8
+ agreeable to the taste ego" much furthe
' IA necessary consideration when the
J oftener form the staple than the accom-
paniment of the meal. Olives intends
y for eating are gathered while still greer
' usually in the month OF October. The
8 are soaked for some hours in the stron!
h est possible '1ys" TO get rid Of their hi
& terness; and are afterwards allowed
: stand for fortnight in frequently change
fresh water in order to be perfectly pur
fed from the lye. 1t only then remsil
to preserve them in common salt and W
ter, when they are ready for export.
/ Among the Romans the olives held IL
|, privileged position of being equally re
n pected as dainty accessory and an ord
/, nary food. 1t was eaten at the tables
o the temperate and the luxurious alik,
d and while dividing the highly Aavor'
IT dishes OF their eTtravagant supper
W formed constituent of Horaces pastor
a OF olives endive, simple taste.,
A., And mallow.
10 At what precise date olives began
Is fill their present Office in England is n
quite clear; but they were plentiful
70 Queen Elizabeth's time, and many ga
deners OF that and succeeding reigns ha
81 endeavored to acclimatlze the plar
10 Their peculiar relation to the wine-fa
g. was fully established in France in the Si