OLIVE CULTURE IN CALIFORNIA

Te Aroha News, Volume VI, Issue 276, 27 June 1888, Page 4

OLIVE CULTURE IN CALIFORNIA

Tiik following paper, published in the American Jounmf of Pharmacy, was read at a mooting of a Pharmaceutical Society in California, a few months ago, by Mr Jamos E. C. Bell :- Tho extonfc to which foreign olive oil is now adulterated, is a matter that would justly cause serious apprchonsion were it not for the fact that we have within our own country tho moans of reiiof. California has for .s jvural years past produced a limited supply of pure olivo oil of very superior ; quality. Tho olivo treo was introduced I at the time of tho founding of tho mis.sions by the Jesuit priests during the twenty or thirty years beginning witli 1769. Orclmrdsof froma do/on to one or two hundred ticcs were planted for tho uso of the padres, and many of thoso trees b(ill smvive, adding much by their graceful proportions and stiiking foliage to tho pietuiesqucncss of tho sunounditigs of tho missions which, with few exceptions, aie in ruins. Tho wiitcr has often re-ted in (lie <hade of some ot those trees planted more than one hundred years ago. It will thus be seen that i ho introduction of tho olive tree is coeval with the founding of the missions. The latter leceived their deathblow in 1533 b\ reason of the confiscation of thcii lands by the Mexican Covernineiu, while the former still flourishes in moio than pristine vigour. It was not until 18 72, however, that olivo oreiuuds weio planted with a \ lew to extensi\e oil production. In tha<. \ear Mr Kllwood Cooper, of Hanta Baibara, planted the nuclous ot what is now one of tho finest olive orchards in (he 'world. Raxing demonstrated that the industi\ could be made pvoiitablo, his example has been followed by others, so that now there are pioduotive orchaids in San Diego county (Mi Fiank A. Kimball ot National City), near San Joso (Mi I'idw.nd E. (Joodiich of Quito (.)li\e FainO, and at sevcial othoi place- in the -Late. The tives are now being cvtenM\ely planted, and the day is not far distant when tho dithcult\ of getting pine oli\e oil will not be as <>ioat as it is now. The climate and soil ot California aie peculiarly adapted to olive eultme, the chief difficulties now in the way being the hiuh piicc ot land and labour. These ob-taelt> will doubtless be giadually oveicumo, and then pure olive oil will be obtainable at a much lowci pii< c than at pie--ent. Viigiu oli\e oil in lull si/ed bottle- 1 now sells on the l'acilic Coast at two dollar.- a bottle wholesale. Mr Coopei and Mr Coodvich both state that the demand for their ic*pective products is much greater than the supply. The cost is a seiioub bar to it" general use at present, but not to tho.-e who wish pure oil. The limits of this aiticle pieclude moio than a meie outline of olivo culture in California. Much inteiesting matter must therefore be left out, and only the mam pasnts mentioned. The trees aie pi opaga ted from cuttings, taken from sound growing fices. during rhc month-, of December and January, and carefully ticnchcd in a loose, sandy soil in a .shady place. The giound of the intended oi^haid is thoroughly piepaied by proper <uilti\atun, and in February or March the cuttings are peunanently planted about twenty teet apait. Theoretically the tiees s-hould bo propagated fiom the seeds as they would be better tooted fand more symmetrical, bui in practice this method has- not proved success'iil. The tiees usually produce .some faiit the fourth year fiom planting, and thencofoiwaid the yield inciciscfe., alternating a light with a heavy ciop. A few tiees at lour ycais have produced o%er two gallons of olive-, and at ei»l»t >cfim thiit) ■gallon-. The average yield is of coui-c, much smaller than this. A tree in the Nan Diego Mission orchard has pioduced 150 gallons of bellies in a year. The fruit is generally leady for picking in November, but sometimes is not suthciently matured betoic the middle of January. The oil made fiom olives picked betoie fully ripe and iu^t aftei they become purple, k- lightei in colour and moie fragrant than' that from uper fruit. Tho [ticking is done by mentis of laddeiattar.l»ed to waggons which are chiven from tree to tree. Tin- method is pi^fciable to that employed in E\iropc, where tho fiuit is knocked ofV w itlv })oles and j ticked irom the ground. After picking tiie fruit is f>eed From leaver and impcitcct berries by pa-s-ing it thiough a winnowing mill, when it is' cither diied in the sun for about two weeks, or exposed to artificial jheat at ,i tempera tuic of 110 J to 130° K. When the moi-tuic ha> been s .(licieutly evapoiated the fiuit i- ciushed by stone rollers., and picked out in a manner almost identical with that used in tho oldfashioned beam cider press. Tho cheeses I are 3 feet squaic and 3 inches thick, cn- \ eloped in co.use linen cloth, about ten cheeses being put in ab one pressing. Tho expressed liquid is allowed to stand in. tanks from two to thico months h) which time the oil lise- to the top and U di awn i oil". The pomace is lecrushcd, treated with ! hot water, and on pressing, a second | quility of oil is obtained. The oil is clari- ' lied by bein^ passed through a filtering column composed of five or six compartments with sieve bottoms on which cotton batting i 3 placed. Heat facilitates this process, but is liable to iniuro the oil, and i hence is not used in filtering the best oil. The oil is finally bottled, kept in a, moderately cool place, not exposed to sun light, and agitated as little as possible. _ °l'ickled olives are prepared in various ways. In general, the process is to deprive them of bitterness by steeping them in brine, or in water containing lye, for varying periods, thoroughly -washing to fiee trom alkali, and preserving in a strong solution of tKte best Liverpool salt. From what I have said it appears that if pharmacists and other consumers of olive oil are willing to pay the price necessary for an absolutely pure oil, they can obtain it of unsurpassed quality in California. The price given is usually high, owing to a short crop last year, and the excellent reputation that the oil has gained on the coast. A prominent producer of oil informs me that the prices will probably be greatly reduced when the new product now in process of manufacture is placed on sale. It is earnestly to be hoped that this new addition to our home industries will receive the encouragement and support it so well deserves.