Daily Los Angeles herald., 1883-10-05
IN the Name of the Prophet. Flgs.n
Whether planted in the name of the

prophet or any other way, the fig tree is
the most easily propagated of any other
fruit tree The cultivation Of the fig has
been greatly neglected in Southern Cali
fornia. The tree grows from the cutting,
and bears oftentimes during the first sea.
son after planting, and generally bears
every year. 1t grows with great rapidity
and becomes large tree in four years,
aud free from all disease or insects. The
fruit is very healthful, as an article Of
human food, and makes good food for
chickens. 1t is also very valuable for
fattening hogs, which are very fond of
this kind OF fruit.
The fig of commerce, originally called
the Smyrna fig, is Que of the most de.
licious fruits of the orchard. This is o
yellowish fruit, bronzed on the sunny
side and very much elongated. 1t is far
sweeter than the common Mission, or
purple fig, the brown Ischia or the white
fig. and should be planted by tens of
thousands all over our country. There
are but few of this kind in the country,
bat they cnn be multiplied rapidly by
cuttings, so that in few years the coun-
try could be supplied with this delicious
fruit
In the absence of the Smyrna fig, the
white fig, called, which is greenish
lemon -colored fruit, can be used with
great profit. 1t can be made into spiced
pickles, which are very fine and com
mand a strong price, even more than
cucumbers. 1t is a good table fruit,
especially valuable for children, fattens
hogs rapidly, or as canned fruit is very
excellent. The white fig of Los Angeles
has been canued in our city and sent to
New York. London, Liverpool and Paris,
where it has been considered one of the
most delicious of all prepared fruits
Orders have been received in this city
for all that could be produced, no matter
how much, but the people have not
been informed of the fact and have not
been prepared to raise them.
Had our fruit Gamers given publicity
to this fact last year, there would now
be $1,000 more fig trees growing than
there are at present. Orders for Boston,
Chicago and other cities, are in this city,
all untitled, and the dealers are weeping
because they are not.
1t seems as if the fruit Gamers, instead
of advertising for this kind of fruit to
fill their orders, were waiting for news
paper reporters TO pry into their business
to see what they wanted, and advertise
it in their columns free
An enlightened policy would seem to
be, for the Gamers to tell what they
want through the columns of the press.
Many farmer has small lot of figs,
but does not know that they have any
commercial value and SO lets them rot on
the ground or be eaten by birds, when
he could turn then into cash at can
merry at Los Angeles, at good profit to
himself and the Gamer besides. Do the
Gamers expect the press to create fruit
for them? Ii they will advertise their
wants, like other business men, the fruit
will be forthcoming in due season, and
plenty of it. Instead of doing that it
is very much like work, and tbankless
work at that, to find out what fruit these
manufacturers want, and so advise its
cultivation. There should be more life
and activity in this business. If there
is money in it, let it be known, and the
industry developed generously and with
the most enlightened views.
From all the information that we have
been able to gather, the fruit is put up
like apricots or pears, in white syrup,
and is most delicious and fascinating.
The operation is simple and not expen-
sive, and the profits very satisfactory.
If our manufacturers of canned goods
will give more facilities to information
about their business it will be very much
to their advantage to do so. Figs can
be raised more easily and rapidly than
any other fruit, and if there is money
in them, our farmers want to know it
and produce all that are needed. Here
tofore they did not seem "to care fig"
for the business, but they now have
reason to revise their opinions.
From the various sources Of informa-
tion open to this journal, it seems that
the canning of white figs would be an
important addition to the industries of
Los Angeles, and fill another niche in
the chamber of commerce. A diversity
of industry is essential to continued and
steady prosperity. When one kind of
fruit fails to yield, another may produce
luxuriantly, and so maintain the usual
volume Of trade. The fig mas been an
important article Of food in Europe,
Asia and Africa, as far back as history
extends, and seems destined to take
high rank in California if proper atten-
tion is paid to it.