The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-07-23
RIVALING SPAIN AND ITALY.
America VIII soon Feed the whole
World ON olives.
From the Cincinnati Enquirer.

From the Cincinnati Enquirer.
Washington.-One million gallons of
olive oil are imported annually into the
United States. There is no reason why
the whole Of that quantity should not be
produced in this country. Indeed there
is every prospect that American olive oil
some day viii rival the foreign in the ex-
tent of the output already it is quite
equal TO the latter in quality. Government
agricultural experts have been study
ing the matter recently and they declare
that California is capable of turning out
as much olive oil as Italy and Spain put
together. The Importance of this state
ment may be realized when IL is under
stood that Italy markets every year TO-,
000,C00 gallons of the stuff, while the yield
of the lberian peninsula is not less. The
value of the annual oil crop of the two
countries mentioned is estimated at $780,
0O.00o
Dr. Newton b. Pierce will contribute
paper on American olive culture to the
forthcoming year book of the department
of agriculture. He says that the true
North American olive belt-the region spe-
cally adapted to che growth and produc-
ton of this fruit-includes "A portion of
Mexico proper. all OF Lower California
and much of the state of California, ex-
elusive of the mountain tops.
The oliVe-growing region in California is
from 500 to 100 miles long and varies in
width from 30 TO 1926 mites. If this belt
had a width of only % miles and length
of 500 miles it would include 100000 acres,
or more than twice the area of the land
now planted with olives in Spain This
area adapted TO olives embraces Southern
California and the country west Of the
Sierra Nevada as far north as the upper
portion of the Sacramento valley and
along the coast valleys and ranges to some
distance north of San Francisco
The area planted with olives in Califor-
MIA is growing at a very rapid rate, and
there is no reason why the production OF
olive oil should not become before long
one of the most important branches of
husbandry in this country. so gigantic is
the demand for olivs oil in Europe that
the production over there is hardly more
than sufficient to supply it. Accordingly
Americans nave to put up with peanut
oil or cotton-seed OIL for which they are
Obliged to pay the highest olive oil prices.
Peanut and cotton-seed oils are actually
shipped from the United States to Europe
and sent back again across the ocean with
false labels Incorporating as olive oil.
Nearly all of the imported olive OH is
more or less falsihed. A few years ago
the department of agriculture caused tests
to be made of sixty-siX different brands Of
the foreign article, every one Of which
was labeled pure" Not one of them was
found TO be pure and several did not con
tain any olive oil. The estimated annual
Weld of olive oil in Spain IS not less than
10000. 600 gallons, and of this almost IN
conceivable quantity 60,O0OtO gallons are
consumed at home by population that Is
only one third as great as that of the
United States.
The olive was first introduced at the San
Diego mission from Lower California
about 1863 and between that date and 1873
il was planted in most, If not all, of the
twenty-one missions on the coast. The
largest early paintings seem to nave been
made at San Diego and san Fernando.
Nearly all of these trees are still In good
condition and active bearing. The lon
gevity of the olive in the old world is pro-
verbal Not long ago a specimen was de-
stroved near Nice, France, which had an
authentic record Of five centuries. Near
Marseiles Is an olive tree that Is said 10
be nearly 1000 years old; II Is so large
that twenty persons might find accommo-
dation In its hollow trunk. Olive trees be-
Gin TO bear probably when they are
years old As the tree grows older the
crop increases. and there are trees about
the San Gabriel mission that have pro-
duced fifty gallons Of olives in year.
Sometimes a single olive tree viii produce
go gallons of oil.
AS in the case OF the peach, the olive
Is either a clngstone or freestone. The
ripe fruit Is neither green nor yellow, but
has deeply colored sSin-dark red or pur-
Die. reddish brown or purplish brown. The
fruit. even when ripe, IS decidedly bitter,
and for pickling Is put through special
process to remove this undesirable taste.
IL should be stated, however, that few
varieties OF olives are known that bear
sweet fruits, which, when ripe, may be
eaten fresh from the tree ana when AREA
are also very good.
As is wen known, the fruit OF the olive
varies greatly in size The smallest are
not as large as Malaga grapes, while the
finer varieties Of olives for picking almost
rival the size OF our larger plums. The Be-
villauo or "Olive Of the Queen" as grown
IN the vicinity Of Seville, Spain, frequently
reaches a length Of one and three NTH
inches and a breadth Of one and one fifth
inches. while IN California the same va
riety reaches even larger dimensions. In
this connection W may be said that many
varieties of Olives bear larger fruits when
planted in our virgin soils than they do
when grown len the old world. The oil Of
the olive also varies greatly both In quail
it's and quantity ln different varieties.
Cleanliness is "a most essential feature IN
making olive oil, as IL readily absorbs taints
and odors No offensive smell or tobacco
smoke Is allowed about the Oihouse. ana
everything I'm the building-mills, presses,
cloths. dishes, tanks, etc, H. kept scrupu
.ouaiy clean in an the processes Of ex-
pressing and handling olive oil it Is Inn
pOrtant that II be kept a. a moderate ana
uniform temperature. and that II be not
exposed to the light more than ~ noces-
aary.
The gathering OF olives at a proper stage
OF rlpeneas is an important feature Of the
olive industry. The olives should not be
allowed 70 hang too long, but should be
gathered while red After being gathered
the olives should be- spread on trays IN
thin layers. 70 that the air may circulate
freely among them, and the trays should
then be- kept In a dry. clean, and airy
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