The evening times., 1899-07-28
THE MEXICAN OLIVE.
The Story OF Its Cultivation and of
the Extraction OF the Oil.
Grom DE Mexican Trade

t1t EAtTActlOn Oh tEt
From the Mexican Trader,)
The olive tree grows in cold and hot
climates; but extreme cold as well as ea-
cessiye heat is detrimental TO It's develop
ment. Extreme cold Injuries the plant when
in tender condition. that Is 10 say, un-
iii three years old. and extreme heat pro-
duces sterility. Propagation is obtained
by means cf seed, shoots, and cuttings.
Propagation by seed is effected from the
kernel of the olive fruit which is left in
water forty-eight hours; afterward il is
sown two In place : metre a part, being
covered with loose earth, to a depth of
six OF eight centimetres. in regular rows,
a metre distant from each other. In our
hot region the time most appropriate for
the sowing, is in the autumn, and IN the
temperate and cold regions the months of
February and March. At the commence
ment OF germinatioa the plants, in order
that they may be shielded from the rays
of the sun. are covered ever with dry Zac-
ate grass in the form Of Z funnel during
the first year. This system has not given
good results in practice. We are unable TO
say why this is so.
The propagation by shoots is made with
the product of the pruning, which takes
place In the eighth year after planting the
cuttings; by this means the greatest num-
Der of plants is obtained from a definite
area, but the fruit Is less abundant. The
means most generally adopted by our agri-
culturalists is by cuttings; these are form
ed in nurseries, with trenches from so to
10o-eentimetres in width and so in depth.
The cuttings are put in wafer twenty-four
hours and then planted, two in a place
in each trench. their roots being carefully
spread out. The average distance between
the trees is Is metres.
The olive, more than any other tree,
needs pruning; its branches become en-
twined the one with the other TO such
an extent as 10 intercept the rays Of the
sun and produce barrenness if care IS not
taken TO cut of some of its branches.
This practice is not less essential so far
as the offshoots from the root of the tree
are concerned. The top of the tree should
be pruned in order to diminish its height.
to facilitate its production; in this
way the tree gains in circumference what
it loses in height In cold climates il is
necessary that the soil have a sufficient
degree of moisture during the first five
years OF the plants existence. The weekly
quantity OF water should be from 20 to
25 litres. Once the propagation of the
olive tree is effected by means of cuttings.
according TO the plan indicated, il is plant
ed in its ultimate place and its small
roots shoot up in about two months. The
flower appears at the end of the fifth or
sixth year. Fructifcation is effected in
from twenty 10 thirty years of its exist
ence. when the tree attains full growth.
it being able then TO produce up 10 so
arobas Us pounds each) of olives.
The gathering of the olive is made in
September or October in three different
ways, i. e.. by hand, by beating with a
stick, and by shaking.
The first method is most suitable, for
which reason We confine ourselves TO the
circumstances connected with the gath
lrrh A. oil h.
ripen simultaneously, the crop has to be
gathered in as il ripens. The gathered
fruit must be stored in a dry and we'll
ventilated place. The fruit must not re-
main in said place longer than is neces-
sary for the extraction of the oil.
The industry of preserving the Mexican
olive by evaporation or piclding is not
lucrative one. IL is true that the demand
for il is sufficiently great, but il pays bet
ter 10 extract the oil. The oil is extracted
In two different ways: By pressure when
cold or better still by heating the green
or perfectly ripe fruit. The best Oil is that
which is extracted from fruit previously
heated to a certain degree. Once the oil is
extracted by means Of hydraulic or screw
presses sea salt, indissoluble in the oil. is
added with the object OF extracting the
water still remaining and il settles in the
bottom of the receptacle. As before said,
the preservation OF the fruit has no COM
mercial Importance; but merely as mat
ter of interest We viii indicate the pro-
cess adopted by our Indians in preserving
the fruit of the chiquaucapolh (o.iye).
They put the fruit in ordinary water for
fifteen days in order TO remove the Shiny
particles, renewing the water every third
day until the fruit has lost its acid; then
they mix / 1-2 cuartillos (half litre each)
of sea salt, four heads of garlic quartered,
ten lemons, also cut up, and other herbs
and condiments, the names of which the
Indian women would not divulge, guarding g
the secret in the sanctuary of their con-
ceited brains. We will say, in passing, that
ii is well nigh impossible TO extract a
secret from them. With all this We must
repeat that in order to relish the Mexican
olives a special taste is needed. 1t tastes
Of everything which nature never intended
TO be put in a human mouth.
Disappointed Man.