'Military report on Tehran and adjacent Provinces of North-West Persia (including the Caspian Littoral)' [‎162v] (329/610)

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other Mazandaran or Gilan valley. Tradition says that they
were imported from Syria by a colony sent by Timur.
The number of trees at Rudbar, the principal centre of olive
cultivation, is said to be about 200,000. They attain a cir
cumference of 4'and are left to grow to a height of 30 to 40
and not kept small by pruning. As in other parts of the world
the olive crop is very variable, and it is generally believed to be
good in alternate years. The olives are gathered in December
and January, usually before they are fully ripe for fear of frost.
The percentage of oil extracted is very low, averaging less than
20 per cent.
The trees are grown from seeds and not from cuttings as in
Europe. The seed is sown in a hot-house about December and
in May, when the saplings have reached a height of about 1',
they are transplanted and rigorously pruned. The young tree
begins to bear about the fourth year.
The trees depend on irrigation and are watered in the latter
part of May and a second time in August. The crop used to be
bought up by a Russian, but is now disposed of locally and the
wardens are generally let out for a fixed price or quantity of
oil. It is usually stipulated that on expiry of the lease the
owner must buy trees at a certain proportion of their value or
else that the lease shall be renewable at a slightly higher figure.
Some of the olives are preserved in salt for eating, but most
are utilised to produce :—
1 . Oil for soap boiling or for lubricating (the large
quantity).
2. Comestible oil.
For (1). They are first laid out to dry and afterwards
heated on a copper tray to evaporate any water remaining in
them. They are then put into small pits (chanika) and left to
• rot ’ until spring, when the stones are removed and the pulp
is placed in bags and beaten to exude the oil, which is then
manufactured locally into soap.
(2). Forward contracts are made by contractors in Rasht
who spread salt on the olives on delivery to prevent fermen
tation until sufficient have been accumulated to start work,
when they have them ground on a millstone into a pulp
which is placed in goats’ hair bags and softened by boiling
water. The bags are flattened out, piled up and pressed, so
that the oil flows out into a reservoir. Hot water is again
poured on to it, the oil comes to the surface, and is drawn off
and poured into pots until the dregs are settled, when it is
transferred to large jars. If left to stand in them it becomes