The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1882-12-27
Fig TreeS-tlIe Selection of Sorts
and Curing.

John /. BleasGGle la Pacific Rural Press.
EDIToRs PRESS: Acting on your
suggestion, l herewith send you some
gossipping matter bearing upon the
above themes The fig tree appears
to grow uliantly all Ger the State
where the soil is deep 'od moderate
ly moist. AS to choice oi situation,
at least until the cultiva ION Csn take
rank with other kinds Of ffcl;t suiia-
BILE tor preserving the be-: aud least
expensive spots to work wlM 0e found
in the lowest portions of vineyards
where it will receive along with the
vines the ordinary cultivation which
the tree requires. In such locations
it will be found of inestimable value
in the future to the proprietor, not
alone for its fruit, but because the
figs, beginning to ripen just befoI e
the grapes, attract the mischlevous
small birds, which seldom desert
them for grapes. That is the expe-
rience in other countries.
The varieties OF fig trees, as at
present classified, are very numerous;
far too numerous for me to touch
upon, so as even TO give merely a
superficial description OF them. Epro.
pose, however, to say something
about them at future time. The
varieties known in California have
probably not been classified and de-
fined botanically as yet. Still right
here l may call attention to the two
most commercially valuable sorts,
the true White Smyrna and the true
Purple. The one which is purple is
often nearly black through both pulp
and skin, not the kind common here,
which is purple outside, but dark vel.
low or brown inside. So far as my
observations extend, l have not found
the fruit OF either of them offered tor
sale during the last three seasons. |
believe they are not in the country.
The original stock OF your best trees
are those raised from Smyrna, or Els
enc figs, grown in different parts OF
Asia Minor and the Grcc;au islands;
but they are all by birds, as the follow,
ing extract from my correspondence
with Sir WIN. Macarthur, OF Camden
Park, New South Wales, will prove.
Many years ago this great bene-
factor to New South Wales ob,
tanned cuttings from Smyrna,
which grew rapidly and soon came
into bearing, but which always dr1p.
ped Their fr6lt after the fashion be
describes. The letter referred to
was written in 1871, in reply to quo>
ries sent by myself when commis>
sioner for foreign industries and for
ests in Victoria, Australia. Six years
later, when on a visit to Sir William,
] was shown the ripe fruit upon the
trees:
-" We have also a very luxuriant
growing fig, imported as the true
Smyrna variety. 1t annually covers
itself with fruit, but they all invaria>
bly, drop off when about half grown.
We learn that the variety has the
same habit in Asia Minor unless the
blossoms be tertilized with the pol>
lard OF the wild fig, and that it is the
custom to hang branches in fruit of
the wild sort III the trees of the cul>
tivated sort when tue young figs are
about half grown, that is in their pc.
Rod of blossom.
"Mr. George Macleay who learned
this fact on the spot, also kindly sent
us the wild fig, but it has never thriven
well as yet and has never truited.
can send You the cultivated sort, ey,
identity very large one, but am 10,
sure that l can spare the villa one
The last grows teeby, and being
very early in its budding, has ire
quently suffered from frost. This is
believe, the Chief cause OF its feeble
growth. Last winter / moved q
plant or two OF this sort into stu.
ation not nearly SO subject to late
trosts, but We shall still be year OF
two without fruit"
AT Pera, near Lisbon, | know we
grew the genuine, delicious Asia Mi
nor fg, most prolific bearer; SC
much so, that it vas convenient to
lay down planks in order to approach
the trees when the fruit began to tall
to the ground. The difference was
that They were considerably smaller
than the choice ones we usually sec
from Eleme. And noticed the same
tact always in the case of dried hge
grown III the Algarves. There it Is
cA.lNated tor curing, and from thence
shimuads arc sent to Great Britain,
taOUgn LlsOUn consumes a great
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