Napa County CA Archives Biographies.....Flamant, Adolphe 
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Author: Lewis Publishing Co. (1891)

ADOLPHE FLAMANT, while not an early settler in California or Napa County, has,
in a few years of his residence here, so prominently identified himself with an
interest of great value in the future development of our resources, which will
bring so much wealth to the people of the State, that we deem his efforts worthy
of full recognition in this volume. On becoming familiar with California he
instinctively recognized in the climate and soils of certain portions of the
State a marked similarity to those of northern Italy and the south of France,
whose rugged hillsides furnish to the world the finest products of the olive,
both in oil and the pickled fruit. Born in the district of Gard, in the southern
part of France, and near Saint Chamas, where the celebrated agriculturist of the
last century, Picholin, brought to the notice of the world that variety of
olives which has since borne his name. Mr. Flamant's earliest memories are
connected with the culture of olives, the pressing of the oil, and the pickling
of the green berries. As a boy he was familiar with all these processes, and
when he had grown older he assisted his grandfather, Francois Serre, at whose
mill the great bulk of the olives of that section of the country were made into
oil, in the purchase and manipulation of that crop and its products. Deeply
impressed with the value of this tree to California, concerning which the
Italians have a proverb to the effect that "an olive plantation is a gold mine
on the surface of the earth," he soon commenced the planting of an orchard of
sixty acres, setting out about 6,000 rooted cuttings of the Picholin variety.
The land selected was so rugged that most of it was inaccessible to the plow,
and the labor was largely done by hand, the trees being cultivated by the hoe.
Meanwhile, and naturally, Mr. Flamant had become a diligent student of the
literature of the olive, as well as a discriminating observer of the peculiar
acquirements of the tree in California. He made a systematic collection of all
the authorities on the subject in Europe as well as in America, and familiarized
himself with their experience and teachings. It was apparent to him that there
was a vital need for simple and comprehensive information, which could be placed
before the people of the State in a practical form, and he decided to make an
effort to supply that need. With this end in view he published in 1887 "A
Practical Treatise on Olive Culture, Oil-making and Olive Pickling." This was
first written and published in the French language, but Mr. Flamant translated
the work and had it published in English. This volume received unstinted praise
from the press of this State and that of Nevada, and it was heartily recommended
to those who had land adapted to olive culture, as well as to those otherwise
interested. The Napa Register said that "it would, without doubt, be wisdom on
the part of the supervisors to circulate this treatise of Mr. Flamant alongside
of the Napa County pamphlet." Following its publication came many inquiries in
regard to varieties, how to obtain reliable rooted cuttings, etc., from persons
wishing to engage in the business. This induced Mr. Flamant to produce a large
supply of cuttings from that variety to which he had devoted his sixty-acre
orchard, and which his knowledge on varieties in France, and his study of the
best authorities, had led him to choose, namely, the Picholin. This variety is,
as we have read in some of the French authorities shown us by Mr. Flamant,
described by De Wailly, Bescherelle and Napoleon Landais and others, in their
several dictionaries as "Olive de la plus petite espece," "petite olive
excellente," "olive de petite espece." Translated into English these mean,
"Olive of the smallest species," "small excellent olive," "small species of
olives." Of this variety he now has at his home in Napa a large supply, in the
nursery, in hot-house, and in beds under glass, besides orange and lemon trees,
he having lately added to his stock live varieties of the orange.

  Mr. Flamant married the daughter of James W. Simonton, for many years general
agent of the Associated Press of New York, and of the Call and Bulletin, of San
Francisco, and has two sons: Adolphe, Jr., and James. He is of a good family and
position in France, and a gentleman of high literary and social attainments.


Additional Comments:
Extracted from

Memorial and Biographical History of Northern California.

Illustrated, Containing a History of this Important Section of the Pacific Coast
from the Earliest Period of its Occupancy to the Present Time, together with
Glimpses of its Prospective Future; Full-Page Steel Portraits of its most
Eminent Men, and Biographical Mention of many of its Pioneers and also of
Prominent Citizens of To-day.

"A people that takes no pride in the noble achievements of remote ancestors will
never achieve anything worthy to be remembered with pride by remote
descendents." – Macauley.

CHICAGO
THE LEWIS PUBLISHING COMPANY
1891.


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