Arizona weekly enterprise., 1890-12-20
Drying the Fig for Market.
Geo. c. swan in the Rural California.

Geo. c. Swan in the Rural California
 A superior dry fig requires at least three conditions; the proper variety, good soil and suitable climate, The fig tree will grow in any soil, 1t will live longer on a dry rocky knoll than almost any fruit tree we cultivate. Perfection in drying the fruit is only attained in a light well drained soil with sufficient moisture to give size while growing and an atmosphere free from moisture while drying; just as well to try to grow a lus- cious peach in quagmire as to make a fine dried fig from soil soaked with water continually. The demand for size caused | a delicate flavor to be washed out of the fig, and no well cut railroad in the land : can boast of as much expansion. The | great mass of mqshy stuff on our fruit | stands is not fit to eat, it will hardly keep ! over night. People stop one on the | street with why can't they dry their !. figs?" They have dipped them in hot l water, they have sulphured them all to | purpose;they are spoiled. A Niaraga ofhot ! water and all the sulphur in Pluto's do- main would fail to keep such figs They are water soaked and actually spoil upon the tree. Compare this with we'll ripened fig from suitable soil; darkness never saw greater light; delicate deli cious and sustaining. So nutritious that
 when dried the English chemist, D.. Johnston places it with our most valuable
 foods.
 So susceptible to moisture is the fig that after dry spell where irrigation is
 not practiced, the fig being too small for
 market, one or two nights of fog will swell ] them ont to a wonderful size. While the l fogs are productive of siZe they are det-
 rimental to drying. and no amount of | processing afterwards will remove the
 dark dark spots where the fungus has
 Any one who can put up and can
 peach can can fig, but not anyone who
 can dry peach can dry fig successfully;
 1t requires more of an art Dried figs 1 always have been and always will be
 liked, and no processing can give the re- quisite flavor which is possessed by the
 well dried fig and enjoyed hy the most of
 mankind.
 Soil and climate will not make the best
 dried fig without the proper variety.
 There are more Smyrna figs in California
 than Smyrna ever dreamed of, the major
 ity of which are of European orlgin. l
 have been trying for 19 years to obtain
 
 the Alden district failed to grow. The
 San Francisco Bulletin, Gov. Stanford
 and Doctor Stilman, at great expense
 procured cuttings from Smyrna. The
 fruit failed to mature from insufic 'ent
 fertilization, and while here and there
 one IS reported to perfect fruit. there Is
 no sufficient evidence that any one of the
 whole lot is of the least service. The ! Adriatio thus far is best. Four or five , years ago 1t was sold at big. prices as the , true fig of commerce. Whereby w. B.. West says it is an old variety, cultivated
 at Knights Ferry for 20 years" No
 doubt cuttings could be had for the ask ing. Dr. Elsen of Fresno claims Sicily as its origin. When well dried it is SC I near like the fig of commerce that in my
 comparison last season with the Erbrelli (the best, six out of ten could not tell the f difference. One thought it the better a and three being experts preferred the = foreign fig. Complication has been dis s cussed at every horticultural convention n for the last two years. Dr. Eisen and | Prof. Lnmback of Italy, claim that fol F the fig ofcommerce 1t Is necessary to pre- s vent dropping of fruit, and to produce F that requisite flavor of that fig when dried . All botanists from London have claimed  . pistilate flowers and did not requir e capridcation, held to be correct by G. P n Rixford, formerly manager of the Sal r. Francisco Bulletin fig, also by Leiong II secretary of the State Board of Horti e culture. Prof. Gaspaninni, of Italy, de 9 voted six years to prove that 1t was no l. necessary.
 " The error consists in considering al p figs of one variety and in merely exam ,e ming the European varieties; whereas tn
 fig of commerce is a distinct variety, dii ,r ficult in fertilizing flowers; held by D IF Eisen and Prof. Lomback grown in tn ,d Alden district and not found north ( rs Ephesus in its fresh state; that J. |
 Smithers, consul in 1877, states that it h. not as desirable to eat as other yarietie le attested by Dr. J. H. Van Lennel to authority on Syria and more recent
 by Consul Stevens. Van Lennep's brotl ,ir CT, resident of the Alden district, fami o- far with fig culture, writes that it dot o. not contain both staminate and pistilat or flowers and hence needs eapriticatio ed The late Dr. Bleasdale, formerly of Pc Iv tugal, afterwards a resident of San Fral IF. cisco. authority on the fig grown by $ " Gov. Mcdonald of Australia. dropped i ,r, fruit previous to the introduction of th to capri fig. Dr. Stillman, of Laguna, VITO
 me that while in the Alden district m. used the wild or capri fig. "Io nal ds the other fig fat" was the reply. he the Doctor had lived he would Ina,
 demonstrated the necessity as all h ey Bulletin figs dropped, and he had ti m capri fig.
 mt That the fig of commerce requires capl
 fication I have no doubt, but that it in to produce flavor think requires demo Ills stration. Since writing the above u ,ar Pacific Rural Press states that MT. Ro ,O- erts, of Fresno, sent w. B. West to Smy ifl- na and procured cuttings of two vari ed ties of fgs-one the capri-the first ye ,lv dropped. Not having the blostophagr
 the little insect which distributes U fin pollen, this seasQn he opened the caI ,ur fig carefully with a tooth pick, extracts he the pollen, transferred it to the other 1se and was rewarded with figs similar to |
 fig of commerce. The blostophagus e to be easily obtained, and then we shall col do pete and excel Smyrna as we ha i'd Spain in the production of the raisi ed Had Gaspannini known this he wou ,ed have saved six years work, the Itali ice figs not requiring republication. Bel
 known it demonstrates that the strewi ho. of the wild fig upon the branches of t the fig of commerce is not an old woman ith fable but necessity, and in accordan nd- with the science of botany. his The process of drying IS a simple oT lur I!elong, in his commendable article om the fig enumeratas reported processes
 nearly forty different places, but or hat recommends two of his own. One Iot which the least amount possible of S hat phur is used-for which l have no u
 Tho other is so much like the one I | for that give mine; Pick when ripe; no cl inc ting as the fig when ripe will drop to { NV touch; spread to the sun without cont
 on board, wire or bamboo trays; ms: ground may do properly prepared. l and premium figs at one of our fairs W, pod dried upon straw under the trees. Tu he frequently, at least one day; after t the days work them with thumb and fing
 This would not suit the average c; ext fornian but it is the best we can do nc her. Soon some inventor will no doubt do hev better, as the machines now take ; frs. raisins from the sweat box stem, clean a tor grade much quicker and much cleal his than any hand work. When dry aid termined only by practice place in |
 for sweating turn from side to g