Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1890-05-17
SMYRNA FIGS.
Interesting Facts Not Generally Known
In America

In America
From the New York STAR
The Oldest and most influential of the
fig importers of this city is Nicholas Ca
trevas, who, though native of SMYRNA. is
an American citizen OF many years stand
ing. In discussing his singular business,
he said
There is large amount of ignorance
lying around loose among the American
public respecting the chief import of my
native land. In the first place, figs as seen
IN the market are not grown in SMYRNA,
but at Adm, Tshallis and Erbelli, far in
the interior of Asia Minor. These dis
tricts lie from $50 to 600 miles away from
the Mediterranean coast. They are Won
derfully ricn and fertile, and produce if
not the finest fruit of all kinds, at least the
finest figs in the world HorticuIturists
have repeatedly taken up trees from the
territory and transplanted them in various
parts OF Greece, Italy, France, England
Spain, Portugal, Morocco, Algiers and
Iunls, but in every case the resultant
fruit was no bette than the native article.
Some of the results were very odd. In Italy
the igs ran TO an aromatic woody fiber.
and were roasted and used as an imitation
coffee. In Morocco they grew into pulpv
masses, and were used chiefly to make
jelIies and marmalades.
The fg tree is not cultivated like or
binary fruit trees. Fertilizing increases
the size of the fruit, but deteriorates the
quality and It's flavor. Unlike most fruits
the fig is not picked. Around the trunk
of every tree circle is built of stones and
gravel on which the fruit falls when it is
perfectly ripe. 1t is allowed to STAY there
until it is dried, when it is gathered and
sent to the factories to be packed. The
trees are grated and regrafted, sometimes
annually. The young trees bear better
than the old, and the young gratis bear far
better than the branches of old trees. In
most OF the fig orchards they graft the trees
every year.
When the fallen fruit is comparatively
dry, 1t is assorted and packed in BAGS
weighing from zoe to 400 pounds each.
They are loaded in couples upon camels,
each couple being termed load. This
was the universal practice up to late date,
when the iron-horse invaded Syria. Now
good railroad runs from SMYRNA to
Ephesus, and brings a large part of the fig
crop TO the former city. No prettier sight
=
great line of camels laden with begs of figs
coming into Smyrna from the towns of the
far interior.
Once arrived, the camels are unloaded
and the figs displayed in the open market.
1t is singularly like Washington Market in
the early morning, when the farmers come
in with their produce from the country
districts. The marketmen are Armenians.
Turks, Jews and Greeks. Even in SMYRNA,
which is under Turkish rule, through the
shrewdness and commercial sense which
has made the race conspicuous in the tinan-
cial history of the world, the Israelite has
become leading member in ali business
circles. The marketmen make money
easily, and too often questionably. They
advance money upon consignments and act
both as bankers and factors They control
the market both in buying and selling, and
enjoy practical trust of their own.
The figs are bought by the merchants
and shippers and sent to the factories.
Here they are emptied in long rows and
carefully assorted by men, women and
children. who sit cross-legged, with the
fruit on one side and baskets and boxes on
the other. They sort the different quail
ties and shape each fig in the oblong form
so familiar to the New World. The boxes
are cased in wooden forms, called skele-
tons, which weigh from $50 to $50 pounds
net. Each skeleton contains from four to
$50 boxes, according to the weight of the
latter. the finest qualities are made into
what are called layer figs those next in
excellence are nodded into oblong shape
and are known as 'maccaroni.' The poorer
sorts are packed in boxes, crates and bags.
Smyrna exports annually about $4,000
skeletons, of which England takes So per
cent. and the United States about so.
Boston formerly controlled the trade, but
now New York has the lead, doing nine
tenthso of the business"