mer. A sufficiency of pure water and extreme cleanliness, are essentials of oil production for table use. Not only must the water used on the pomace be pure, but all the different parts of the machinery must be kept clean by constant washing, and mere water is not sufficient. The best cleaning method seems to be, washing with hot water and soda (1½ ounces to a gallon of water) then, with fresh hot water remove the soda, and finally rinse out well with cold water. These washings must be frequent and careful, of machinery crusher, press, sacks, cage and crash, receiving vessels, and everything with which the oil comes in contact. Smoke from fires must be prevented, and smoking must be forbidden in the mill, oil takes a taste very readily, and the mill should be at a distance from barn and stable. It is a common thing in old Italian mills to have the horse power in the mill. This is of course very undesirable.
The alterations to which olive oil is subject are various, and although numerous cures have been suggested, no remedy has ever yet been successful when once the alteration has commenced. Sometimes the disagreeable taste can be so disguised that it is not perceptible to the consumer; but that is only a temporary expedient, and cannot be termed a remedy. The most dangerous as well as the most common of the maladies to which olive oil is liable are:
Natural Rancidity.—This can be imparted not only by the carelessness of the maker, or by the uncleanliness of the utensils used in making, or storing the oil, but also through the nature of the soil in which the trees are growing. If the earth is very rich, and the growth of the trees is exceedingly rank or strong, this forced vegetation will produce fruit that will impart a peculiar taste to the oil, which will at once be detected by a delicate palate, and in a short time it will become so rancid that its market value will be greatly depreciated.
Taste of the Worm.—This is only observable when the fruit has been attacked by the Dacus oleæ. Sometimes the oil is so injured that it can only be used for industrial purposes.
