OLEA DIOICA. Rorb. i. 106. Indian olive. Burrs nuge, . . CAN. I Atta•jam . . of SYLIIET. Karambu,Parjamb,MAilit. Koli =tram, . .
This pretty large tree grows in Chittagong, Sylhet, and in Coimbatoro, and is common in the forests of Camara and Sunda, on the ghats, but seldom below or inland above. The wood is white, strong, compact, and useful, and might be creosoted with effect. The timber of this tree is reckoned excellent, and is put to many uses by the inhabitants of Sylhet—Wight ; Gibson ; Voigt. • OLEA EUROPEA. Linn.
0. ferruginea, Boyle. I 0. cuspidata, Wall.
Zaitun, Zait, An., Wi, Wili, . .. SUTLEJ. Wili, . . . KANAWAR. Khwan, . . . TR.-IND. Kau, Kahn, Ko, PANJ. Ban kau, . .
This tree is a native of the S. of Europe, of Persia, and of many places in the Panjab and valleys of its rivers. It is abundant in Trans Indus from the plain's level, and in the Salt Range, common in the W. part of the Siwalik tract, and over a considerable part of Hazara (where it is remarkably fine below Tret), and is found on the Chenab, Ravi, and Sutlej, reaching up to 6000 feet on that river. It is found in the bills of the E. Panjab, but is more common in the Salt Range, Hazara, and the valley of the Indus, from 3000 to 5000 feet, along with Quercus ilex. It is also found in the Jumna basin to the eastward.
Many varieties of this plant are known in the S. of Europe, two of which have been long dis tinguished, the wild and the cultivated. The former is an evergreen shrub or low tree, with spiny branches and round twigs ; the latter is a taller tree, without spines, and with four-angled twigs. The wild olive is indigenous to Syria, Greece, and Africa, on the lower slopes of Mount Atlas. The cultivated species grows spontaneously in Syria, is easily reared in Spain, Italy, the S. of
France, and the Ionian Islands. Wherever it has been tried on the sea-coasts of Australia, the success has been complete. The olive tree is also grown in Hong-Kong, along the coast of Morocco, but particularly to the south ; the trees are planted in rows. They take care to water them, the better to preserve the fruit.
Olea Europea has 21 Spanish varieties and 13 French varieties. Its fruit yields olive oil. It is obtained by pressure, but the kernels must not be crushed, as then a disagreeable taste is imparted. European olive trees were imported into the Panjab, in order to test the effect of grafting on the Panjab variety. The olive is of slow growth ; trees 80 years of age measure only from 27 to 30 inches in circumference at the lower part of their trunks. The produce in fruit and oil is regulated by the age of the trees, which are fre quently little fortunes to their owners. One at Villefranche produced on an average, in good seasons, from 200 to 230 lbs. of oil. The wood is hard, heavy, compact, strong, and close grained, and is the best for cogs of wheels. It is also used for agricultural implements, cotton wheels, walking-sticks, in turnery, and for combs. The crooked timbers are largely used for the knees of boats on the Indus near Attock. On the Chenab, at one place Dr. J. L. Stewart found the twigs used for the short suspending rope of the jhula (see Parotia), for which purpose, how ever, the people said it did not answer well. Elphinstone says that the Sherwani tribe eat the fruit, both fresh and dry ; but there is little fleshy pericarp to eat, even were it pleasant to the taste, which it is Stewart; Cleghorn ; Boyle, Ill. ; Mat. iliedica.