Evening star., 1911-06-05
Many New Orchards Being
Planted in California.
DUE TO PURE FOOD LAW
Manufacturers Could Not Compete
With Imported Adulterations.
GREAT PROFIT IN PICKLING
Oil, on Account of Purity, Demands
Higher Prices Than French
or Italian.
BY WILLIAM f. CURTIS
Special Correspondence of The Star and the
Chicago Record Herald.


BY WILLIAM f. CURTIS.
Special Correspondence of The Star and the
Chicago Record Herald.
MONTEREY. Cal. May -. 1911
There is a rapid increase in the produc-
tion of olive oil and picked olives in
California, which is largely due to the
pure food law and is one of many bene-
fits derived by the people of the United
States from that legislation. Many new
orchards are being planted. Old ones
which were Improbable are being trim
med up and cultivated. There is a gen.
eral expansion of the industry which has
= not been profitable until recently, and the
usual explanation has been that honest
manufacturers Of olive oil could not COM
pete with the adulterated article from
France and Italy. which has been repre-
sented to be very largely cottonseed oil
from the United States.
Strange to say, many dealers have con-
tended that consumers in this country
prefer the adulterated article. because
pure. natural olive oil is too rich and
strong for them. There is no question of
the superiority of the California oil over
any we are getting from Italy and France
because 1t is made with so much greater
care: just as the French oil Is said to be
much superior to the Italian and COM
ket.
We export to both those countries
enormous quantities OF cottonseed oil,
which is used as substitute as well as
an adulterant for the genuine olive oil,
but since the new pure food law was
passed every purchaser of the imported
as we'll as the domestic product is able
TO know what he is getting. and If he pre-
fers the adulterated article he can identify
II by the label on the bottle.
Notwithstanding the very large increase
in the production of olives and oil in
California our imports of both have been
growing very rapidly. During the five
years from 1905 10 1910 we imported an
average of four times as much as we did
in the corresponding period ten years
previous In 1871 the total imports were
only 141,243 gallons; In 1881 they were
24.362. in 1891 they were 695,5O9 gallons,
in 1901 they were 9S3,Ol3 gallons and in
1910 they were 3,7O2,210 gallons.
The imports of picked olives in
crease in about the same proportion.
No Need of Importing.
Secretary Wilson has a conviction
that We can produce all the food we
need on our own territory, and he be-
lieves that there is no necessity Of
importing olives or olive oil If the
people of California will get busy and
set out orchards. Olives will grow al
most anywhere in the state in the low
lands. and the highlands, in the wet
and the arid lands. and the enormous
production in Egypt. Morocco, Algiers
and other arid countries is sufficient
proof that the olive tree does not re-
Euire as much water as many other
less profitable crops. Experts say that
fifteen inches is sufficient, but the sue
cessful production of fruit in semi
arid regions depends entirely upon the
choice of varieties. the distance Of
planting the trees, and the methods
of culture and pruning, factors that
are all within the control of the grow
er. The possibility that large areas
of semi-arid land may be adapted for
olive culture at least justifies expert
ments of sufficient extent to thorough
ly test the question.
In California at present olive or
chards may be found from Riverside, in
the extreme southeastern part of the
state, San Diego. in the extreme south
west; Napa, in the north; Oroville. in
the Sacramento valley. and at many
points between. At all those places
both oil and picked olives are pro-
duced with great profit. The largest
single orchard, so far as ] can learn,
comprises five hundred acres. near La
Mirada.
The demand for both the oil and the
fruit is unlimited. and the California
oil commands higher prices than either
tie French or Italian, which is due TO
its purity and high quality. Until re-
Gently it has been practically unknown
in the east. but through the enersetic
efforts of George NJ Curtis of Clinton.
Iowa, who is said to be the largest
producer in southern California. both
the oil and the ripe olives can now
be found in the stocks of the leading
groceries in the eastern cities.
Grown in Mission Days.
Alexander B. Stewart. manager of the
Curtis Oil Company Of Bloomington.
which is near Riverside, in answer to my
questions said:
"Olives have been grown in California
since the days of the first missions. The
Franciscan fathers brought several va
rieties from Spain and planted them
around the missions. and from those
trees sprung a certain variety known as
the mission olive-a good producer, con-
tanning larger percentage of oil than
ordinary olives. and also more suitable
for picking. There was not much done
In the cultivation of olives, except around
the missions. until the late seventies and
early eighties. after nearly 100 years of
.non-development. Between these dates.
however, many groves were set out. but
ton of location The olive is hardy
tree. yet ii needs some attention. Prac-
tically no care or attention was given
them and the results were far from
gratifying.
.'Of late years. however the demand
for California ripe olives having greatly
increased. prices to the growers have of
necessity advanced, and at the present
time many trees are being set out. Ex-
periencc has taught the grower that with
little fertilization and irrigation, and
ecientific pruning and cultivation. the re-
suits TO be obtained are far more remu-
nerative than from almost any other fruit
The expense is far less than in raising
citrus fruit. and the risk from frost
etc. is smaller.
Growers have imported from Italy
France and Spain cuttings from alnios,
every known variety, and about seventy
two varieties of olives now are growing
in California The University Of Call.
fornia has issued bulletin describing
them. from which you can obtain a grea,
amount of information. We have no &C.
curate statistics of the number of trees
planted but groves are located all the
way from the head OF the Sacramento
valley to the Mexican border, II being the
only place In North America aside from
the west coast of Mexico where olives are
grown They are also grown along the
western slope of the Andes, in southern
Peru and northern Chile.
Annual Product Large.
The annual product of olive oil in Cali
fornia is approximately 100000 gallons