Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1890-02-28
FIG CULTURE.
RAISING THIS POPULAR FRUIT
IN THE FAR EAST ~
Smyrna the Worlds Great Zig Mar
kct-A California Experiment.
a Singular Property
of Wild Figs.

Smyrna is the approach and the key to
the small district that supplies all Europe,
indeed the whole world, with the most
popular of dried fruits. From the heart
OF the town a railway starts, running
south to Ephesus and eastward TO
Sarakeui, and the traffic of the line de-
ponds largely on the fruit harvest. In
Smyrna itself is the great market for the
distribution OF the figs TO all parts of the
world, and in harbor here may be seen
a large fleet OF steamers lying moored
stern on to the quays, and porters, car
ricrs, and humcl busy loa ling them in
great wooden cases. It is by this rail-
way that you make your way into the fig
district. The tract Is comparatively
small, when it is remembered that its
produce may he found all over the world
1t is, in fact, actually sinall--a valley of
some fifty miles skirtin. the northern
bank of the Meander, and with IL width
ut its widest of scarcely more than five
miles. Twenty years ago not half this
area WAS under cultivation.
The soil of this tract is very deep, and
has the property of retaining moisture, so
necessary for the crop. Tic popularity
is OF special importance, as in cases Of
drought the iG-trce does not generally
show mt the time signs of dropping. The
leaves retain their strength and color. il
is only aftcrward when the fruit should
have reached maturity, that its stunted
| size and diminished yield show the effects
| of the check. Indeed, il is this quality
| OF the soil that makes the valley of the
NIeander the great centre of the ig-crop.
Experiments have been tried by trans
| planting the trees to raise Il crop in the
neighboring valleys, but they never have
been successful. Some years ago Mr..
West discovered in California tract of
soil which he believed TO be almost iden-
ticaI. The climate also was similar. Mr.
West took back with him some 800 roots.
These fig-trecs have done well. They
have made good growth and yielded fair
| crops, but Sufficient time has
! not yet elapsed for the tree to
reach such maturity as should test
the value OF its fruit for preseIv-
ing. 1t is only when the trees are from
five TO seven years old that they begin to
bear fruit useful for commercial purposes;
but once that age is attained, the tree
will yield its annual crop for sixty or
seventy, or, with careful pruning, for
eighty years. The fruit does not all re-
scmble the ordinary black eating fig. 1t
is Il short, pulpy fruit. y large ono
would weigh quite four ounces. The color
is bright yellow-grecn, but when YOU
cut into it tho flesh is white, with cen
ire Of dark red. The taste of these lirs
is poor and rather faint but the pulp
cXudcs an abundance Of amber colored
juice; so that they seem with the slight
est pressure almost to drip with honey.
Their promise to the taste is more than
their performance. We know how beauti-
full u cherry orchard, or Il garden wall
covered with peach.:rees, can look in the
early weeks OF Il mild spring. The fig
tree differs from almost all fruit
I, trees III this respect that it
seems TO bear no flowers. Of
course ii does ilower-if it did not it
could bear no fruit--but it flowers invis-
] IDLY. Iii fact the flower is concealed in
what ultimately becomes the fruit. If you
cut open fig when il has attained little
more than Il third of its full size the flow
ers will be seen in full development, and
| ii is ut this stage that, if the stamens arc
| perfect, fertilization takes place, and the
| fruit swclis and ripens.
Walking through fig garden in the
/ Adm district in the month of June, YOU
will see a strange and almost incompre-
hcnsible operation being carried on. The
trees are by this time covered with fruit.
though the figs are less than half the size
to which they subsequently attain. The
boughs which bear them are often not
more than few feet from the ground.
One of the peasants III the garden takes
a basket filled with small green figs
strung loosely on pieces of cord. Some
OF these cords will have only couple of
figs, and some as many as six. The work
man filings the cords up into the branches,
on the twigs OF which they are caught,
so that every tree shall be adorned with
one OF these singular necklaces. 1t is
hard to guess their purpose. These
strung figs are wild fruit, bitter in taste,
and quite useless as food, but they have
this singular property, that they arrest
the tendency of the other figs to drop TO
the ground before they attain maturity.
Sometimes the crop of these Capri figs,
as they are called, fails, but so useful is
the purpose they serve that growers will
give as much as piastre, or four cents,
for each fig. This price is so high that,
as q rule, il will swallow up all the prof
its expected from the crop. From the
end of June and through July the fig
swclls and ripens. In its earlier stages
the fruit is not very palatable, but on at
tanning maturity it is sweet and agreea-
BILE, juicy and much relished, though
somewhat laxative. This is the season
for the pilferers. The crop is so valua-
BILE that watchers are stationed in the
garden, who keep guard day and night.
These watchers, called bcckii, with
their shelters and surroundings, might he
designed for art rather than occupation,
SO picturesque is their appearance. Their
accoutremcnt reminds one that Asia Minor
is still great hunting ground for bri-
gands. Quite museum of knives and
pistols is displayed in the belt, and heavy
iron-bound cudgel is probably rather
a symbol of Office than actually needed