Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1886-03-03
Malaga Olives and Gral,cs.

The olive tree in shape and size re-
sembles exactly our own New England
apple tree, and but for the color n plan
tation of them would look like an
apple orchard. The leaf, however, is
Of a dull gray green, at times almost
ash colored, aud the effect of a hill
side planted with them in regular rows
is sombre and funereal. There are two
varieties. Those known to us as Queen
olives" are restricted to a small locality
near Seville. They do not flourish
elsewhere, and the supply will never be
very large. No special preparation is
necessary to fit the fruit for market.
They are gathered before they are fully
ripe and thrown at once into salt and
water, and in that state are barreled up
for shipment. The other variety grows
oil over Spain. When fully ripe the
berries, stone and all, are ground up in
q mill and pressed, the process being
very similar to cider-making. There
are no reliable statistics as to the
amount of oil made in Spain, but in
the aggregate it must be immense, for
it takes among all classes the place Of
lard or butter in cooking, besides the
great quantity that. is consumed in
salads or with plain bread as we use
butter or molasses. OF the grapes of
Malaga there are three distinct varieties,
the wine grape, the raisin, and the we'll
known white grape, Of which we Amer
leans import go many. This last grows
upon q running vine that is trained upon
trellises or arbors, and is peculiar to
this Vega, as IL fourishes hardly any
where else. / asked o friend If it was
valued as q table grape at home. "Oh,
NO" said he, "it isn't ft to be eaten
Il is only At to BIO exported" The
cultivation Of this crop is q good deal
Of . lottery. They cost very little TO
raise, but rs they must be shipped when
still green, they are very apt to decay
on the voyage, and result in loss, in
stead or profit, to the shipper. The
rasin grape also reaches its perfection
only in the narrow district round here,
though poor qualities are raised every
where. The vine ia o low, trailing one,
spreading closely Owe the ground like
. melon vine, and the clusters lie upon
the sand, the emily care necessary being
to prevent them from being scorched by
the sun. Owing to the labor Of curing
them, the cultivation must he carried
on upon a large scale, and requires a
good deal Of capital. The lunches re-
main on the vines until fully ripe, when
they are cut without being disturbed,
and are allowed TO remain on the
ground under the vines for two or three
days. They are then carried in shallow
baskets to the drying-floor, the greatest
Of care being taken to prevent them
from bruising or crushing one another.
To such an extent is this care taken that
only a single layer is allowed in the
basket, and o. this basket must BIO car
ried on q mans head sometimes . mile
from the field to the drying-foor, 1t fol-
lows that this transportation adds
largely to the expense Of harvesting.
The punches are spread upon the dry
ing floor in the sun, are turned three or
four times per day, and at nightfall. in
case Of damp weather, are protected by
cloth coverings. II the weather is IA
vorable the grapes are sufficiently dried
ct the end Of three weeks from the cut
ting, when they are critically examined.
bunch by bunch, Ill the decayed or
hlighted berries cut ont With shasp-
pcsnted scissoss. and ~ coed trHit i