The record-union., 1898-04-20
NATURES GREAT
CURATIVE AGENT.
Facts Concerning the Cul ture OF the Olive
and Its Properties.
B. NJ Lelong's Excellent Treatise the Value of the
OIive-Its Beneficial Effects
on InValids.

The olive is rapidly coming to the
front in California-the fruit as an arti-
Gle of food. and the oil as a remedy
and curative agent for many Of the Ills
OF mankind. At the recent session of
the State Horticultural Society in Los
Angeles County B. NJ. Lelong, Secre-
tary of that body. read the following
interesting paper on the culture Of the
olive, properties Of the fruit, etc.:
CULTURE OF THE OLIVE.
Consideration of the olive carries the
mind back for centuries, even to the
earliest Greek and Roman history. His
tory records that the great olive trees
yet to be seen around Tiv0li, in Italy,
were already old when Romulus traced
with his plow the walls Of Rome. Near
~ three thousand years have passed
since then, and yet the trees stand, Wig
Orous and productive. The same can
be said Of the magnificent olive grove
that lies on the east side of Jerusa-
lem, which gave to the Mount of
Olives" its name.
Among the Greeks the olive was sa-
cred to Pallos Athene (Minerva), who
was honored as its bestower. It was
also the emblem of chastity and the
symbol of peace. Poets have sung its
praises. and historians have WED with
each other in recountng its beauty and
utility. Historical records tell US that
this precious tree was introduced into
California in 1869, from San Bias, Mex
1co during an expedition Of Francis
cans sent to take charge of the Jesuit
missions in California. 1t appears
from the ships manifest that one Jose
de Galvez who was Visitor-General
and secular head, representing the King
of Spain, and Father Sierra proceeded
to make arrangements for the estab-
1ishment of new settlements, and
seemed to be far-seeing, for it was
found that he had caused to be shipped
to Alta" California flower, vegetable
and fruit seeds for garden and orchard,
and grain for the field.
All the Mission orchards were very
small, and some had but a few trees,
but those trees play an important part
In the horticultural history of our State,
for they laid the foundation of gigan-
tic industry, and furnished stocks for
many groves. which to-day may be
styled the prehistoric" orchards of the
State. Thus the Mission Fathers
builded wiser than they knew.
The culture of the olive for CONNER
cial purposes forms an industry that
with proper protection should be re-
garded as one of the safest in Califor-
MIA. and under favorable conditions the
most profitable Of all branches of nor
ticulture.
According to the Assessors reports to
the State Board of Equalization for
1897 which are conceded to be gener-
ally too low to be strictly accurate.
there are in the State 1852, T39 olive
trees, of which number 364S10 are
given as bearing, and 797, 500 as not
yet in bearing. Averaging the plant
at thirty feet apart. we have 1900 acres
in bearing and 16,623 acres not yet in
bearing, or a total of "A, 223 acres de-
voted to the culture of the olive in this
State. We could with safety perhaps
add at least 10 per cent, and would be
nearer the mark.
Olive trees reach full bearing at flf-
teen years, and presuming they bear
fifty pounds of olives per tree (Which
is not too high, but a low, conservative
estimate), and that of the total IN bear
ing there are 5000 acres that viii give
this average, or 100000 pounds.
Again. averaging the product Of the re-
manning 1900 acres, which are in bear
ing, but have not reached the fifteen
year mark, at twenty-five pounds per
tree, we have ), $50 600 pounds of fruit,
which, added to the former, gives us q
total of 12,720000 pounds Of olives as
the product Of the State. Now, on the
average, it takes sixty pounds Of fruit
to make one gallon Of olive oil, there
fore we should now produce 212 600
A.,
fruit was turned into oil, which, of
course, would increase from year to
year as the trees grow older, and when
the acreage now given as not yet in
bearing becomes in full bearing,
same basis as the above, or
say 5000 acres in full bearing, at fifty
pounds per tree we would have A.
100000 pounds of fruit, and the remain
ing 10.623 acres at twenty-five pounds
per tree would give u, TAI, 900 pounds
of fruit, or a grand total of 80. S67 GOO
pounds Of olives per year; and if all
were made into oil we would have
664, 400 gallons of olive oil as the prod
uct of the State. Again, assuming that
one-half Of this output is turned into
what is commonly styled pickles" 4
nisnomer for cured fruit, averaged at
six pounds per gallon, we would have
$500, 300 gallons of cured olives and
332, ,230 gallons of olive oil as the prod
uct of the State.
From letters received from growers
throughout the State this estimate
both as to number of trees and produc-
tion, is considered very conservative
Well, let US suppose it is. Would 1C
4 u nc T 4
so. we should produce $50, ,453 gallons OF
olive oil and :. .654. $50 gallons of olives
Or, If the entire output was made into
oil, 730 906 gallons from 26645 acres
Thus, the grave question that win con.
front the growers in the near future
will be the disposition of this immense
output and how to profitably market