Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1900-12-10

Alus. Such a claim of superiority is
at least made in the guide books; and
one who looks up the sides Of the
mountains from any one of the towns
and villages between Savona and San
Reno can see that the olive has i'll
some way been induced to take pos
session of almost every yard of avail
able soil. The olive as well as the
grape seems to take it's flavor partly
from the rock. partly from the soil,
partly from the temperature and
partly from the amount of exposure
to sun and wind 1t is claimed that
nowhere do these combinations more
favorably unite than they do along
the Italian Riviera.
The Ligurian Alps rise to the digni-
ty OF mountains in some places four
or five thousand feet high along the
northwestern coast Of Italy, and form
a rocky southern barrier to the fertile
plains of Piedmont of which Turin is
the proud capital. The mountains,
at least on the southern side. are
chiefly Of soft limestone which on the
surface easily crumbles into soil and
thus makes possible those remarkable
terraces which are the most striking
feature Of the landscape. The lime
stone also is said to absorb in remark
able measure the heat of the sun dur
ing the warm days and then give it
out at night and at the colder seasons
of autumn and winter. This peculiar
ity is largely the cause of the remark
able climate which attracts so many
people in the winter from all parts of
the world.
But the mountains exert another in
fuence not less remarkable. The
winds from the west. the north and
the east strike the barrier of the
mountains and are carried far over
the heads of people on the coast. In
consequence, it often occurs that the
waters Of the shore are quite calm,
while beyond line four or five miles
distant they are dashed into foam by
something like tempest. Thus it
happens that the softening power of
the gulf stream. which makes itself
felt in all Europe, is especially rein
ate mortals who have the privilege of
passing the winter on this coast.
Though San Reno is in the latitude of
Portland, Maine, and Sheboygan, Wis
consin, it's mean temperature during
the months of December, January and
February is so degrees Fahrenheit.
There is practically never any frost,
hot nY1f nF hn1
roses are in exuberant blossom
throughout the winter.
The olives Natural Habitat.
This is perhaps a rather long pref
ace to what l intended to say in re-
gard to olive trees and olives. But
every plant as well as every animal
is largely dependent upon tempera-
ture and food. For the olive, tenn
perature here is of the best; and, what
is scarcely less important, it's favorite
food seems to be a decaying lime
stone. All the conditions therefore
are here perfectly fulfilled, and the
consequence is that to the very tops
Of all the mountains in sight one sees
Give trees. and olive trees alone. In
the town of San Reno one sees every
variety of palm as we'll as the healing
eucalyptus and a score Of other semi
tropical trees; but in the Suburbs-if
q town may be said to have suburbs
and on the hill and mountain sides no
tree but olive is seen. AS far as the
eye reaches, the valleys, as well as the
mountain sides and tops, are covered
with the uniform tint of sage-green
which gives unmistakable evidence
that the olive has taken possession of
everything. This gnarled and tyran-
nical member of the vegetable king
dom will no more tolerate another
tree or shrub on these mountain sides,
than a South Carolinian senator will
tolerate negro at the polls.
| know of nothing that more clearly
typif1es the difference between
European ways and ways American
than the methods by which the olive
tree is given a foothold on mountain
side and the roads by which the trees
are all made so delightfully."- accessi-
BILE. In the first place, picture to
yourself San Reno in the hollow of
crescent, the points of which are
four or FIVE miles apart. Back from
the Mediterranean the mountains and
-velleys rise from one point of the cres-
cent to the other. At distance the
mountains present to the eye only
smooth surfaces; but as you approach
them you see everywhere that the
whole slope has been terraced in such
a way as to create succession OF
levels from the bottom to the top.
The sides of the gorges and valleys
are treated in the same way. From
the broken limestone which the sur
face everywhere furnishes in abun-
dance a terrace wall four or six feet
in height is constructed. The earth
back of the wall is reduced to level;
then the process is repeated again and
again till the top of the mountain is
reached. The steepness of the ascent
is often forty or fifty degrees; and
consequently the level above the ter