Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1889-12-29
OLIVE CULTURE.
THE SUBJECT DISCUSSED BY STATE
HORTICULTURIsTs.
No Danger of Any Over-Production of
Good Olive OLA Saera-
mentan's Views.

AT the regular meeting of the State Beard
of Horticulture in San Francisco on Fri
day Professor Hilgard opened the dis
cussion on the outlook for olive growing
in this State, claiming that there is little
danger that the production of really good
olive oil will be overdone; that the Ameri-
can taste should be and will be cultivated
so that consumption will keep pace with
increased production. As for the manu-
facture of lowgrade olive oils, there is
Great danger of excessive production be-
| cause these oils come into direct COMPETE
| ton with cotton-seed oil, etc. but if proper
care can be taken California can profitably
make a large product of first-class oil.
Professor Hilgard alluded also to the use
of picked olives, and looked for vastly in
| creased consumption when producers put
out product, not of green olives, but of
partially ripened olives, such as are
eaten in South Europe, and which form a
most delicious and wholesome article of
food.
Robert Williamson of Sacramento spoke
of the need of educating the people of this
pure olive oil and picked olives. He
quoted from reports to show that very
large proportion of the oil brought into
this country from abroad is impure, being
| made from cottt n-seed and second.class
lard, such ingredients being shipped from
this country in Large quantities. The
speaker argued that there is no danger of
over production of good oil when the peo-
pie begin to know what the pure product
is. 1t is evident that no country is better
adapted to the olive than California, and it
was the speakers judgment that olives
will do better in the Sierra foothills than
anywhere else. Trees around Oroville and
Auburn grow vigorously and are entirely
free from the black fungus found on trees
near the coast.
AS to varieties and the merits Of the Mis-
sion and Picholine the speaker expressed
the opinion that the oil of the Picholine
would grow more readily into favor among
those not used 10 oil. The Mission olive is
larger, but the oil is stronger, yellower and
more like the European product. The
Picholine olive is small, but the trees pro-
duce heavier crops. For general purposes
the Picholine is excellent, but there is more
to be said for the Mission. The speaker
would plant an orchard about two-thirds
Mission and one third Picholine. The
is one of the beet early varieties. The
Polymorpha and Columella are also excel
lent early varieties.
1t is certainly true that the olive will
grow in very rocky soil and without water,
although water is good thing if it can be
readily applied at the proper season. The
outlook for olive culture in California is
certainly promising. All must remember
that the area of the earth's surface adapted
to olive-culture is limited. The speaker
felt safe in planting an olive orchard now
that his children would never lack re-
Enumeration and profit from the orchard.
Some interesting facts from the experience
of Mrs. Robson on the Gould ranch near
Auburn were quoted. She has found ex.
cellent yields, and one year the oil pressed
was as high as Is l.5 per cent. of the olives
put in the press. The oil percentagei is con-
sidered to be much greater in the foothills
than in the Southern counties.