Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1889-12-26
SMYRNA FIGS.
HAVE WE TIE GENUINE FIG OF COM
MERGE IN CALIFORNIA.
A Fruit Grower Who Believes in
standing by the Home
Product.

read with deep interest by the many people
who are now engaged il fg culture in this
State:
EDS. RECORD UNION: Several years since
the Bulletin Company of San Francisco
brought to California from Smyrna a
quantity Of hg cuttings, which they OBJ.
tanned through United States Consul
Smithers, and distributed to the subscribers
of the Bulletin Robert Williamson. of
Sacramento, planted some Of the cuttings
il nursery; and four years ago when they
were placed on the market, 81. e. Parker,
Of Penryn, purchased two of the trees and
planted them in the foot-hi of Placer
county. When the trees commenced bear
ing, Mr. Parker found that be had super
ior fig TO any he had ever seen. Not satisfied
with his own opinion he sent specimens to
the Bulletin Company, and they submitted
them 10 test By such experts as Professor
L. J. Wickson, of the Rural Press, and the
following merchants: a. Lusk, S. G. Sreso-
vich and g. Onssti, who, on actual COM
palison, pronounced them superior to the
best new crop of Smyrna figs that could be
found ia the market
Al the Fruit Growers Convention, held
at Chico during the month OF November,
1888, Mr.. Parker, on the 22i day Of that
month exhibited figs grown on the same
trees as those sent to the Bulletin Company,
and they were shown side by side with the
SMYRNA and White Adriatic. | examined
the figs carefully and was satisfied that the
Bulletin fig was superior, not only to either
of the other two, but to any l had ever
seen. | do not claim to be an expert but
figs are my fayorite fruit, and have eaten
them fresh, dried preserved and picked
for more than forty years. MessTs W. w.
Smith, G. NJ Gray and Frank A. Kimball
Tod Il fh.a ua~fo 1f
figs and presented the following report
We would say, in making our report on
figs, that We examined the specimens of
the three varieties very carefully by putting
each under the test of the microscope, by
tasting them ard by tearing the skin apart
aud examining thoroughly the seeds, and
we agreed TO report as follows: Taking 100
ss the standard of excellence, we give the
fg grown ct Peuryn by Mr.. Parker, 100;
White Adria:ic. 70, aud the imported
Smyrna. 80. We make the White AdIiatic
IS because u was superior III favor to the
imported Smyrna, although the skin was
thicker
Now let rs see what other horticulturists
think of the Bulletin fig.
?. W. Butler, 4 neighbor of Mr.. Parker,
saws: Il have been acquainted for years
with the fig of commerce, having dealt in
them extensively, and / noted particularly
the fine quality of Mr.. Parkers figs. On
my place ! have some fifty fig trees, among
others the Ischie and White Adriatic, as
grown BE- Strong &c Co, of Sacramento; 50
! am familiar with the varieties, and GER
tainly Mr.. Psrker's fig is entirely different.
As ssown by the picture, his fig is very
much more globular in form, and there is
no comparison as 10 quality"
w. q. Hlee: Il happened 70 meet Mr..
Rixford, OF the Bulletin one evening, and
he told me- about having received the speci-
mems from Mr.. Parker. Naturally being
interested in settling this question, Sc
cured from John Rock, at Niles,
number of specimens of the
White Adriatic fig, and l took
We compared them very particularly. The
figs were both il a green state, as they
came from the tree, having been picked
only few days. In cutting them open we
found that the meat did not seem to differ
very materially, at least that was my opin-
ion the color was about the same, the skin
of the White Adriatic was somewhat
thicker, bu. the most striking difference
was, of course, in the shape. That was too
marked and distinct to escape anybody's
notice. The product SIS dried shows still
reater difference, as Mr.. Parker's
Decin-ens prove. His Smyrna fig dries
lutte transparent, while the specimens of
The White Adriatic have seen DO not. In
my mind the question of identity of Inc
Smyrna fig OF commerce and that of Mr.
Parkers is settled"
F. A Kimball: 81 examined with q
great deal of interest the specimen
shown by Mr.. Parker. l have seen but
one sample Of dried fss in my life supe-
rior to it. / Aave msde great many ex-
aminatio1s, particularly in my own county
Gf Sun DiaYp TDprA WAS Cr,a Au1Y,Isa of
figs exhibited st an exhibit at Oceanside,
and nov il the rooms ef the Beard OF
Trsde il san Diego which seems to me
identical With that fg, and they were
growu from Tree of the Bulletin importa-
Ion ana packed by the Escondido Land
Company. ! sea no difference in texture,
in seed, or color, either inside or outside, ex-
ceLt in the thinness of the skin. The skin
of the tigs packed at EScondido is much
thinner than these here, but the shape and
all characteristics seem to be identical"
Now is il not little singular that Just
one year and q day from the time Mr..
Parker exhibited the samples of the Bulletin
Smyrna fis at Chico, the Rural Press
should publish an article written by Z. c.
Cloves, Stockton, and q paper read by E.
w. Mssin. Placer county, at the Fruit
growers Convention at Fresno. MIR.
Cloves states that two years ago last fall
he made trip to Mr.. Parker's place to see
the Bulletin tig MIR. Parker claimed that
there was considerable difference between
his fig and the Adriatic, though he failed
to see any, and offered and did on his re-
turn to Stockton send samples of fresh figs
and received an answer from Mr.. Parker
stating that there was little Or no resem-
blance. At the same time Mr.. Cloves sent
another box Of figs to party unknown TO
the public a. Peuryn with the request to
compare them with Mr.. Pefker'S liz, and
in due time letter was received from hun
Stating that he bad done IS requested, and
although not feeling himself qualified to
judge or 50 weighty matter, etc. Il sup
pose 'ete." means compared with
ont Mr.. Par Ear's knowledge or coaseat), he
cOuld s.Sis boz they compared IN bis own
miud, IS fc.!owS: Size and shape the
same; meat he same; perhaps the skin Of
the Stockton dg trifls thicker than the
Parker T !"
But what seems to trouble Mr. Cloves
mast, is the photographs in Professor
WicssoR's book, california Fruits
Although Mr. Cloves friend reports the
shape OF the Stockton Adrialic and the
Bulletin Smyrna fig to be the same, the
photographs show the shape of the Niles
Adristic and the Bulletin fig to be different.
What is the difference in the shape of figs
grown at Stockton and those grown at
Niles? There IS no doubt in Mr. Cloves
mind that Mr.. Parker has nothing but an
Adriatic fg, and if he is willing to have
the matter tested it can be proven beyond
the possibility of doubt.
would Ike TO know if it is the Stockton
Adriauc o. the Niles Adriatic that the
Bulletin Company imported from Smyrna
Judging fr5u. what Mr.. Cloves has written,
one would imsgine that Mr.. Parker was
afraid TO have The Bulletinfig tested, but such
is not the case, for when al the Chico Con-
vention he was anxious TO find 8 better