Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-12-23
OLIVE OIL AND ITS USES.
Very Valuable in Medicine and yeces-
sary i'm Manufacturing.

From the New York Sun.
Olive oil suggests to the lay mind little
besides salad; and statistics regarding the
amount of olive oil imported into the United
states annually would call up vistas of in
digestion appalling even in this dyspeptic
nation. Then, too the facts about the adul-
teration of olive oil are calculated to aar-
row the feelings of people opposed. on
general principles, TO being cheated by any
one whose profits are not intended for
American. National pride helps an
American to endure being cheated by a
fellow countryman; but to be done by a
foreigner is gall and bitterness. In The
matter of adulterated olive OIL however
Americans connive at their own destruction
They cast their bread upon the waters in
the shape of cotton seed oil exported to
France and Italy; and, after many days It
comes back to them in bottles labeled pure
olive OIL" They pay for pure olive oil plus
the duty of fifty cents a gallon, and then
eat their salad in content.
By far the largest share of our olive oil
is imported from France The best and
the worst comes from Italy. The olives Of
lucca. in fact of the whole Tuscan district
famous for their flavor and make the
most delicious olive oil on the market; but
the Italians haven't the practical business
ability of the French. and have never made
their oil industry compete with that of
France. The market for French oil is So
great that the olive crop of France is al
ways Inadequate to supply the demand .
and every year many French manufactur-
ers send into Italy, buy up Italian oil. clari-
fly it, and sell IL under their own labels.
French oil Of the best quality is thought
by connoiSseurS to be inferior to the best
Italian oil, for the very reason which makes
it more attractive in appearance. K IS
more thoroughly clarified. and the process
improves its appearance but removes much
of the f.!bunlen which is the chief source
of value and flavor in olive oil.
In earlier days the olives were gathered
by shaking the trees; but that practice has
been abandoned. because it was proved that
the bruiSlng of the fruit harmed the flavor
of the oil. Now, the olive pickers climb
into the trees and pick each olive separate
ly, laying it carefully in a basket. The
fruit is crushed in presses much like our
cider presses, and the oil is allowed to stand
until a sediment forms. Then IL is poured
off into another cask and allowed to stand
once more. After it is fairly clear it is
strained through cotton wool or through
mixture OF charcoal and sand. and Is then
ready for adulteration and packing.
Fully three-fOurths Of the olive oil on the
market is more or less aduiterated, usually
with cottonseed oil; but the quality OF the
olive oil generally sold throughout the
United States has improved greatly within
recent years. There was time when for
eign manufacturers expressed in their own
NSIIldCuldI lIlt theory lldl any OIu owe
oil would go in America; but the American
palate has been educated at considerable
expense, and today the United States is
the best market in the world for the better
g1adeS of olive oil. The oil is shipped in
bottles or in bulk. Some American dealers,
among them many of our most trustworthy
firms, prefer to buy oil in bulk, test IL and
put it up under their own labels, guaran-
teeing its purity. Other dealers buy ii in
bulk for other reasons They buy good Ill
aaulterate it TO suit their wishes and then
bottle il under a fictitious foreign label. 1t
is guaranteed pure by some firm that does
not exist. The most trustworthy foreign
makers usually put up various grades of oil,
and their first quality grade is to be trust
ed
Only comparatively small percentage of
the olive oil imported by this country is
used for culinary purposes. Large quanu-
ties of the purest brands are employed for
medicinal use, the remarkable remedial and
alimentary value of the pure oil being a
Well-established fact in medicine. In the
treatment of gall stones it has been found
an efficacious agent; and in other diseases,
tuberculosis, scrofula, anaemia. &c, its
curative qualities are of great value.
Hundreds of gallons of olive oil are also
imported annually for use In the prepara-
ton of soaps, pomades and lotions of all
kinds: and yet pure olive soap is rare
as the dodo Great quantities of the cheap
est quality of oil are used in our silk and
WOODEN factories. 1t is made from the pulp
of the olives after all the best of the oil has
been extracted, is Snlpped IN large wooden
casks and is admitted free of duty be-
cause intended for use in American manu-
f cture.
A well-known New York importer when
esked about the grades of olive OIL said:
II have just ordered 200 gallons of French
and Italian oil. About two-thirds of it will
be pure. The rest will be aduiterated with
my full knowledge and consent. A great
many consumers will not pay a price for
olive oil which will enable US to pay the
duty on pure oil and make profit. They
say that there are oils on the market for a
lower price and that they will buy them.
We must meet competition; but our first
grade oil is absolutely reliable and l don't
mind telling you that when any one says
he viii sell you pure French olive oil for
less than s.. IS q gallon, he's lying. 1t can't
be done. Very good oil is made of Califor-
lila olives, but the value of the land and
the cost of labor make its price higher than
that of the best imported oils; and the
chemical qualities of the Lucca soil give
Lueca olives flavor that no others can
equal. English and American capitalists
are talking of going in for the oil industry
In Tuscany. If they do you'n see Italian
oil hum. and France will have to look to
her laurels."