The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1890-05-07

recommending this treatment for the fig
only, and we would further say that
while some may object theoretically to
this practice, a careful trial of the
two methods of planting, will convince
them of the superiority of the method
here recommended.
AFTER TREATMENT.
There are very few fruit trees that will
thrive with so little cultivation as thefg,
and perhaps none that are more easily
damaged by too deep blowing One
light blowing i'll the spring is beneficial
as is also the keeping down with hoe or
cultivatOr, OF too rank growth of weeds
and grass, but frequent deep blowing
during the season is detrimental as the
fig is great surface feeder and will not
kindly submit to it's roots being too often
disturbed
The tree delights in a close compact
soil which while retentive of moist ure, is
not wet, and these conditions il not al
ways readily obtainable, can be perhaps
more nearly approached by liberal use
OF mulching than in any other way.
CURING AND DOMESTIC USE.
No fruit can be prepared in greater
variety OF ways than the fig. 1t may be
eaten fresh from the tree, dried, preserved,
picked, made into buildings, pies and
paste, or used for .jellies, jams, candies
and cakes.
In it's dried or cured stateitis probably
most common to US, being largely eX-
ported from Smyrna in Asia Minor in
this form, and also in smaller quantities
from nearly all the countries bordering
on the Mediterranean and Adriatic Seas.
The packages in which it is shipped,
vary in size from the sixty pound pack
age of the wholesale merchant, to the
small elliptical quarter pound box, offer
ed us by the train boy tor a dime, and
which generally contains a couple OF bay
leaves and one good fig on top conceal
ing two or three very poor ones in the
bottom OF the box, (these poor ones in
turn often cOncealing an equal or addi-
tiOnal amount OF wOrms.)
AS far as we are aware the curing OF
figs has not yet been attempted on any
large scale in Florida. Whenever it is
attempted it will undoubtedly be neces-
sary to use evapOratOrs instead of rely
ing upon sun drying as practiced in
Smyrna, as large portion of our Flor
ida crop natures during the rainy sea-
son. For this reason it is unnecessary to
SlNO UnC VI PlCC-
ticed in Eastern countries as also to
some extent in California.
We will say confidentially. thatwe had,
however, thought of giving to the mem
bers of the Society, some valuable re-
ceipts on the preparation Of the pickles,
buildings, jellies, jams, etcetera, above
alluded to, and in fact had them all
beautifully arranged and written out,
but after triumphantly submitting these
recipes to our wives for their approval,
we we're met with the contemptuOus
crushing, and wholly unanswerabi query
of "What do you men know about cook
ing?" This was a cOnundrum that we
were wholly unprepared for and up to
the present writing 1--WE are thankful to
say unable to successfully cope with. 1t
was, however, the sad cause of our alb
breviating this report by about page
and half GEO L. TABER,
E. S. HUBBARD,
II. A. Robe.
Committee.
Mr.. BIELBY.-I would like to ask Mr..
Taber or any other member of the Socie-
ty how it is that it is so frequently re-
ported than the fig is not subject to dis
ease? 1t is fact that the fig leaf is sub
ject to very destructive fungus which
destroys the leaf about twice a year.
have watched it and when it starts it
takes a leaf off and befOreit stODS it takes