The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1872-05-17
Fig Culture.


interesting account of the culture
of figs, and the preparation for the
market. After ripening on the
trees, they are cured or dried in the
sun and then packed in coarse
camels-hair bags and brought by
caravans of from six to twelve
camels. Arrived at the bazaar the
camels are made to kneel down and
the driver awaits a purchaser. And
this is one Of the most singular and
interesting sights to the traveller
The camels are kneeling on every
side, and huge jaws moving slowly
from side to side, the uncouth
humps made still more so by the
pack piled upon them, and their
great cailoUs feet and knees folded
under them. But the drivers are of
a still uglier and more indescribable
expression and their iIl-ftting cos
tune adds to the effect. Thin, hollow
checks and sunken, leering eyes, q
sharp, almost hooked nose, an i'm
mense mouth whose black teeth are
partially concealed by a few strag-
ging yellow hairs of a moustache,
and a scanty beard covers the chin,
and a fierce wildness Of expression
10 tho whole countenance, which
mades one feel that he wouldn't like
to meet the fellow alone on a dard
night. Coarse does not express the
texture Of their garments. Gunny
bags seem fine, almost IN compari-
son with some of them, but they all
have some piece of bright color
tied on somewhere. Some of them
are talking earnestly together, as
much with their arms and features
as with their tongues. All are
smoking the inevitable cigarette,
which is taking the place of the
Naghili; the latter is more used at
cafes and in the shops. From this
bazaar the figs are taken to the fig
packing establishment, which is a
long, hall-like building, open over
head, with awnings stretched part
way across to shelter the "pickers,"
who are ranged along the side of
the building, from the intense heat
Of the sun. These fg-pickers are
generally halfblind, tOothless, dirty
old women; some few children or
other semi-useless members of socie-
ty. At any rate, dirty" applies to
them all, and one doesn't like to
think Of them when he is eating a
delicate eIeme. A pile of soft new
figs is placed beside each one, and
every fig is taken separately and
pulled into shape; the fingers are
moistened occasionally with salt
water, The incest and largest are
put by themselves; the rest are
thrown into a swallow basket with
a rim about two inches high. These
are then taken to the packers. The
poorer figs are packed in drums
and baskets; the best quality are
layer figs, and are packed in square
wooden boxes, in bags or cartoons.
There is a quality called washed
| figs, but the name is a misnOmer, as
the figs are never washed in no
sense Of the word. The choicest of
the figs are generally taken to the
| London market, though of late
years some have been sent to
America. In packing the drums a
handful of the pulled figs is taken
and arranged with the stems all one
way, and then crowded into the
drum, filling the outer row first. a
layer Of the better figs is placed on
top, and Il few laurel leaves laid in,
and then it is taken away, the cover
nailed on, and the box tied up and
| piled away to await transportation
there is no pressing, except what
takes place in the stOre-rOom, where
they are piled eight or ten feet high,
and are necessarily pressed by their
own weight. In two or three weeks,
aitcrward, the fig worm comes out,
one out Of every fig. 4 little white
| creature, who leaves his web behind
him wherever he goes, and he goes
-everywhere into every crevice OF
woodwork or metal, and into every
fold Of paper and clothing. The
open end Of every one of bunch OF
keys has its web of fig-worm silk
between sheets of note paper, and
inside the covers of books. Or
shipbOard, the correspondent says
he has found him in the maintOp
and says would have found him a
the truck had he looked. So many
are there from n cargo of figs that
the web can be pulled off in long
strips from the moulding around the
cabin. Delightful sensation to wake
up in the night with two or three
crawling, cold, over ones face. "BC
careful not to sleep with your mouth
open," was a caution given every
night on retiring. The larger fig
are packed moro carefully, each onC
being pressed out into shape before
being placed in the box; after one
layer is packed the box is turned
end for end" and so on until tn,
box is full; at the top a few laure
leaves are laid in, and the cover il
nailed on. The sugaring process
takes place after the figs come into
cold weather A few frosty day
and nights is sufficient to sugar then
finely. No sugar is used in packing
them. The choicest figs are o
medium size and have very thin
transparent skin, to the very end O
the fig.
| Franklin and his panpr