Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1890-01-01
The Figs OF smyrna

II Is only when the trees are from iiye TO
seven wears old that they begin TO bear
! fr,iit useful for commercial purposes. but
omen that age is attained. the tree Will
Weld it's annual crop for sixty or seventy,
or. with careful pruning. for eighty years.
Tho fruit does not at all resemble the ordI-
nary black eating fig. i Is a short, PUPPY
fruit. A large one would weigh quite four
ounces. The color is bright yellow
green. but when you cut into IL tho flesh
is white, with o centre Of dark red. The
taste Of these figs is poor and rather faint,
but the pulp exudes an abundance oil
ambcr-colored juice. 30 that they seem
with the slightest pressure almost
TO drip with honey. Their promise TO the
taste Is more than their performance. We
know how beautiful cherry orchard OF
a garden wall covered with peacb-trees car
look in the early weeks of a mild spring.
The fig-tree differs from almost all fruit.
trees in this respect-tlNt IL seems 20 beoi
n0fowers. OF course IL does tiower-h u
did not, il could bear no fruit-but u
flowers invisibly. In fact, the dover Il
concealed in what ultimately becomes The
fruit. IL you cut open fig when II In.
attained little more than q third OF It's full
size the flowers will eseenin full develop
ment, and it is at this stage that, II the
stameus are perfect, fertilization take
place and the fruit swells and rlpens.
Walking through a fig-garden IN thf
Adm district in the month OF June, you
yill SEQ a strange and almostincomprehen
sible operation being carried on. The tree:
are hv this time covered with fruit, though
the figs are less than half the size 10 which
they subsequently attain. She boughi
which bare them ere often not more thar
few feet from the ground. One OK th'
peasants in the garden takes baske
filed with small green fgs strung loosely
on pieces of cord. Some of these cords
viii have only couple of figs, and som'
"a MANY as SIX. The workman filings thu
cords up into the branches, on the twigi
OF which they are caught, 80 That ever
| tree shall be adorned with one OF these sin
| e1lar necklaces. 1t is hard To guess thei
! purpose. These strung figs are wild fruit
| bitter in taste aud quite useless as food
but they have this singular property. tha
! they arrest the tendency OF the other hg
10 drop TO the ground before they attain
maturity. Sometimes the crop OF thes'
Capri figs, as they are called, fails. but -
useful is the purpose they serve tina
l.growers will give as much as piastre
lsor four cents, for each FIG. This pric'
Bis so high that, as q rule it viii swallow ~
tall the profits expected from tine crop
tFroln the end Of June and through Jul
Rthe fig swells and ripens. In its Garlic
Ksages the fruit is not very palatable, bu
ION attaining maturity it Is sweet an.
agreeable, juicy. ard much relished
Though somewhat laxative. This is tn
Iseason for the pilferers. The crop is $
VALUABLE that watchers are stationed y
1.-THE garden. who keep watch day and night
| These watchers. called beekji. with thei
shelters and surroundings. might be de
tsgned for art rather than occupation, 90
Picturesque is their appearance. Thei
Isccoutrement reminds one that Asia Mino
lis still a great hunting-ground for brigand:
IQuite a museum Of knives and pistols
displayed in the belt. and a heavy iron
Hound cudgel Is probably rather a symo &c
ktion. The guardians arbor is general
situated near the drying ground OF TIA
Iplueked figs. II is there that the creates
Iyalue is concentrated.