Evening star., 1900-06-30

Nearly a Million Gallons Come to This
Country Every Year.
1.-THE extent to which olive oil is used in
this country may be realized when 1t IS
known that about $4,000 gallons Of the oil
are annually imported into the United
States from italy, Spain and France" said
a leading importer Of olive oil IN New YORK.
to writer for The Star recently. "Ry far
the largest quantity Of ths oil sold here
comes from France. The best and worst
qualities are the product Of Italy and
SPAIN Fully three-fourths Of the olive oil
on the market ia more or less adulterated
usually with oottonseed oil: but the quality
of the olive oil generally sold Throughout
the United States has improved greatly
within the past few years. There was
time when foreign manufacturers expressed
in their own vernacular the theory that
any old Oil would so in America; but the
American palate has been educated at con-
siderable expense, and today the United
States is the best market in the world for
the finest grades of olive oil. The oil is
shipped in bottles and bulk. In the cask
it Is worth from $150 to s. per gallon, ac-
cordipg to quality.
..Only a Comparatively small percentage
Of the olive oil imported to thus country is
used for culinary purposes. Large quanti-
ties Of the purest brands are employed Tor
neQiclnal use, IOE uldhtES sOaEN, VpiAaus1c
and lotions Of all kinds. Great quantities
Of the cheapest quality of oil are used in
our silk and woolen rlslls IT p pade from
the pulp of the elivee after AL the best Of
large wooden casks and 10 admitted free OF
duty because intended for use ID American
manufactures.
1.-The olive has been cultivated in the re-
gions of the Mediterranean coasts from
time inlmemorial Olive oil there takes the
place of butter. Spain has about 5000. 900
acres in olives; Italy, 100000. and France
different varieties of tho fruit grown in
Europe. The tree occasionally grows to be
sixty feet high and twelve feet in cfrcugn-
ference Of trunk. The varieties diner IN
the nature of the wood. the foliage and the
quality and shape Of the fruit. The fruit
is mild or sharp or bitter; and the oil Diff
fers likewise; that pure olive oil may
be unfit for purposes OF food and only ut
for greasins machinery and making soap.
1.-The green, unripe olives, having had the
bitter taste extracted with salt, are pre-
served in vinegar with spices. The ripe
olives are gathered in the fall, when they
are large common plums. They are
Of dark green color and the pit, now be-
come hard stone, contains savory kerr
mel. The flesh is spengy. and its little cells
are filled with the mild oil, which runs out
at the least pressure. The finest oil is the
virgin oil, which is made by collecting the
freshly gathered olives in little heaps and
letting them press the oil out by their own
weight. 1t is clear and has delicate nutty
taste. with little or no odor.
when the fruits cease to give the oil by
themselves they are pressed with small
milIstones, yielding an oil which Is also
clear and has a pleasant taste. The olives.
still rich in oil, next put in sacks, boil
ing water Is poured on them and they are
pressed once more.
"The oil gained by this process is yellow
ish-green and has sharp taste and an
unpleasant smell. At Marseilles the olive
oils are classed into manufacturing oil for
greasing machinery and soap making. re,
fined oil, oil from the pulp or husks and
table or edible oil.'