The Olive in California: History of An Immigrant Tree

344 Pages·2000·41.752 MB·English

by  Judith Taylor

The
,
1n
FOOD HISTORY $32.50
A symbol of peace, strength, and nourishment, the olive
tree has been imbued with a sense of history, place, and
' .
charm since its earliest cultivation in the ancient civi­
lizations of the Mediterranean. From the first Spanish
ships to touch California's shores to the rise of a thriving
industry with hundreds of olive growers, canners, and
The Olive in California
oil makers, traces �he path of this
sturdy, life-giving tree as it developed into a California
"
agricultural phenomenon.
The olive was one of California's first significant
crops, drawing interest from nurserymen and farmers
across the state. It eventually became such a vital part of
the state economy that the fledgling University of
California devoted an extraordinary amount of its sci­
ence faculty's time to studying and promoting proper
planting, harvesting, and canning techniques. Among
the many achievements of which the olive industry can
be proud is the discovery ofthe key to preventing bot­
ulism from canned goods.
In the twentieth century, olive oil makers furthered
the trend of producing high-quality, early pressed oils,
while olive growers made great advances in how the
trees themselves were planted. From San Diego-the
location of the Spanish missionaries' first harvest of
California olives-to Corning-the self-proclain1ed
olive capital-the olive became a signature California
crop, and a staple on the American table.
The Olive in California
brings all this history
together for the first time and offers a wealth of infor­
mation sure to please history and food lovers alike.
Meticulously researched and beautifully illustrated,
this volume is a timely tribute to the California olive
and its much-deserved place in history.
This book has been endorsed by the Committee on
Publications of the California Historical Society.

THE OLIVE IN CALIFORNIA

•
,
In
CALIFORNIA
HISTORY OF AN IMMIGRANT TREE
Judith M.Taylor, M.D.
Forew01d by D1: Kevin Stan; State Librarian of California
1@
TEN SPEED PRESS
Berkeley Toronto
�
Copyright © 2000 by Judith M. Taylor
Foreword copyright© 1999 by Kevin Starr
"
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form, except brief excerpts for
the purpose of review, without written permission of the publisher.
1€)
Ten Speed Press
PO Box 7123
Berkeley, California 94 707
www.tenspeed.com
Distributed in Australia by Simon and Schuster Australia, in Canada by Ten Speed Press Canada, in
New Zealand by Southern Publishers Group, in South Africa by Real Books, in Southeast Asia by
Berkeley Books, and in the United Kingdom and Europe by Airlift Book Company.
Cover Text Design by Jeff Puda
&
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Taylor, Judith M.
The olive in California : history of an immigrant tree I Judith M. Taylor.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references (pp. 276-295).
ISBN 1-58008-131-2
1. Olive-California-History. 2. 0live industry and trade-California-History. 3. Adventive
plants-California-History. I. Title.
SB367.T29 2000
338. l '7463'09794-dc2 l 99-051302
First printing, 2000
Printed in Hong Kong
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10-03 02 01 00
To Irvin, who made it all possible.
Contents
FOREWORD
IX
.... PREFACE
XV
INTRODUCTION: The Olive in Ancient Times
I
1. How the Olive Came to California II
2. Development of a Market and an Industry 29
3. Transition to the Modern Era 57
4. Why Olive Growers Changed to New Kinds of Trees 79
5. Nurseries and the Dissemination of Olive Trees 95
6. The Olive Oil Trade I25
7.
Olive Processing Companies I55
8. Botulism I67
9. The California Olive Association I77
10. The University of California's Role in the 20I
Development of the Olive Industry