18. _The OLIVE_ (Olea Europea) _is a low evergreen tree, which, in its
general form and appearance, somewhat resembles a willow. It is
cultivated in several parts of the continent, and has spear-shaped
leaves, and clusters of small white flowers, that arise at the junction
of the leaves and branches_ (_Fig. 1._)
The fruit of this tree has the name of _olives_. These are usually about
the size of a damson plum, and each contains a hard, rough stone. When
first gathered they have an acrid, bitter, and unpleasant taste; and it is
not until they have been steeped, for several days, in a ley of wood ashes,
and then pickled in salt and water, that they are in the state to be
introduced at table after dinner, in desserts. Lucca olives, being smaller
than any others, have the weakest taste. The larger ones are imported from
Spain, and are the strongest; but those most esteemed are the olives of
Provence, which are of middle size. If olives be eaten by persons of
delicate habits, especially after a solid or heavy dinner, they are
considered injurious, on account of the great quantity of oil they contain.
It is to this fruit that we are indebted for the _salad_ or _olive oil_,
which is so much in use throughout every part of Europe. The preparation of
it is as follows:--The olives, when sufficiently ripe, are carefully
picked, by hand, off the trees, and those that are bad are taken out and
thrown aside. After having been left a little while to wither, they are
first bruised, and then more completely crushed, by an upright millstone
rolling upon an horizontal plane. The paste thus formed is submitted to the
operation of the press. The finest oil flows first: when no more is found
to flow, the pulp is moistened with boiling water, and the mass is again
pressed. This done, the remaining oil is drawn from the surface of the
water, but it contains some impurities from which it cannot, without
difficulty, be cleared. What remains of the pulp is squeezed into lumps or
balls, and dried for fuel. If the olives be indiscriminately gathered and
heaped together, sound and unsound, without selection, the oil is always
bad. The wild trees yield a very small kind of fruit, which furnishes,
though in less quantity, a peculiarly excellent oil.
The olive tree has ever been considered the symbol of peace; and the
ancient poets have asserted that Minerva well merited the honour of giving
her name to the city of Athens for having planted it in Attica. As a
_wood_, this tree is in considerable request by cabinet makers, from its
being beautifully veined, and taking an excellent polish. In some parts of
Spain, ornamental boxes are made of the roots of the olive tree.
Olive oil is employed in various branches of culinary and domestic economy.
When united with soda, it is manufactured into soap. It is likewise used in
medicine; is adopted as a softening ingredient in almost all kinds of
ointments and plasters, and is supposed to be efficacious as a remedy
against the poison of the viper. Persons copiously anointed with oil are
said to have escaped the infection of the plague and yellow fever.