The record-union., 1891-11-28
FIG CAPRFICATION.
Matters of Great Interest to Fruit
Growers.
Paper Read by f. w. MasIin at the
Marysville Fruit-Growers'
Convention.

esting paper before the Fifteenth State
Fruit-growers' Convention, convened at
Marysyille, November 18th to Goth:
Thus we see that the flowers, which
we yainly think are
Born TO blush unseen
And waste their fragrance on the desert air,
though unvisited by the lord of creation,
who boasts that they were made for him,
have, nevertheless, myriads of insect
YisitantS and admirers, which, though
they pilfer their sweets, contribute to
their fertility"
The question of fig caprifcation has
been the all-abSorbing topic of the day
among the fig growers in this State, and
especially since the introduction of the
Minor, by means of which insect it was
hoped that the fertilization of the Smyrna
dg could be successfully accomplished.
/ listened with much interest to the
lecture ON the Blastophaga by Gustav
Eisen, before the Academy of Sciences,
at San Francisco, August 3, 1891, and ex-
pressed the fondeSt hopes of it demon
atrating that caprification is an absolute
necessity. procured various specimens
of Smyrna figs from early spring to late
1all, and carefully examined the eye or
blossom end and could find no opening
nor even possibility for any insect to
enter the fig. / so reported what nv
ther stated that while THESE investiga-
tions were still in progress did not wish
20 speak dogmatically; but | had so far
FOUND what seemed to me evidence that
n some cases, at least of the Smyrna fig,
The fruit was found to have gone beyond
The point of fertilization of the interior
1nt1orescence before there was any open
ing whatever in the eye or blossom end
Of the fig. Even in figs quite small
1ound the seed formation SO far pro-
gressed that the seed had Well-defned
shell, and at that time l believe the time
or fertilization had passed. Mr.. Shinn
disputed some specimens l exhibited as
not being the Smyrna, and brought
me some of his Smyrna or so-called
Bulletin figs. l carefully examined
them and also compared them with the
specimens l had procured from different
20 the fact of their being much closer or
tighter at the blossom end than mine.
Mr.. Shinn could not account for this, and
said in reply, jokingly, ''the insect will
get in; they know their business"
The following l quote from my own re-
port of the year 1889, page 1885, to show
The stand l have taken on the question;
and my conclusions are not theories, but
are based upon the reports and investiga
lions Of modern scientific writers, viz:
SIN the fig the organs of fructification
are hidden from view; therefore we can
not tell exactly when fertilization is eff
fected; but it is supposed that it takes
place when the eye assumes a pinkish
hue and expands and admits a little air
into the interior, where the flowers are.
SIN many parts of Italy and south of
Europe, in olden times, cultivators paid
much attention TO setting the figs by the
method of caprification. This practice
was much believed in, but is condemned
by most modern scientific writers as
absurd.
''Caprification, according to the expert
ence of practical growers, is altogether a
delusion, and many of the largest planta-
tions of the old world have continued to
bear fruit without the aid of the Capri fig.
professor GaSparlnni learned bot
anist, carried on very extended expert
1nents, covering period of six years,
and IN an essay written for the ROYAL
Academy of Sciences of Naples detailed
the number of experiments which he had
made and repeated in different years.
Their results lead to the conclusion that
caprification is useless for the setting and
ripening of the fruit, and that instead of
making the figs remain on the tree it
either causes or facilitates their fall, es-
pecially when the insect had penetrated
into the inside and produced decay by its
own death. When the insect ever en-
tered fig, the maturity of it was hastened
Us apples and pears are when attacked by
Il grub. Professor Gasparinni recon-
mended the adjustment of the practice,
as it only entails expense and deterior-
ates the flavor of the fig.
''In the islands of the Archipelago the
practice has been abandoned, according
20 the French naturalist Oliver, but in
which islands excellent figs are produced.
1.-The process, stripped of all its mystifi-
cation, is a simple one, which, as stated
before, has proved delusion, and is only
alluded to here as such. In the first
4
Capri fig, on which it is said a certain in
sect exists, which enters the fruit when
in a young state, at the eye, thereby facili-
tating the entrance of light and air, or
some fertlllZlng vapor whereby the
flowers are enabled to set and ripen. In
Zig plantations numbers of this wild
species are planted for the sole purpose
of these insects; and at the proper season
the fruits with the insects are carried and
deposited on the fruit or shoots of the
domestic species.
without all this maneuvering it is
faithfully believed that very scanty crops
of figs would be secured; but, according
TO the investigations Of modern science,
It is proved to be not only unnecessary
but positively injurious"
/ am by no means a disbeliever of the
process; but for the time being, and until
the merits of the Blastophaga are proven
beyond q doubt, shall weigh with much
authorities l have quoted. and further,
because I have but recently made very
important discovery which gives me new
grounds for such a belief, which I will
explain further on.
DESCRIPTION.
Female.-Average length .OS. of an
inch. Wing expanse about IL of an
inch. Color light brown. Antenne
clavate, ten-jointed, covered with fine
hairs. Head sub-globose. Eyes very
Large and prominent, of a dark
color. Thorax long. Abdomen elongate
acute, terminating in a long, hairy owl
body, two-thirds of the terminal portion
of which is divided into three parts. On
the under side of the abdomen is a pro-
cess. Wings transparent, pubescent, with
long marginal hairs. The stigma of the
anterior wing at right angle from mar
ginal costa. The legs are of the same
color as body and covered with stout
hairs. The tibia of the front legs is stouter
than that ofthe second pair. The posterior
legs are much stouter and longer than the
others.
Male-Length about OF of an inch.
Wing eXpanSe about IL of an inch.
Color black. Antenna clavate, eleven
jointed, hairy. The scope is much larger
than that of the female. Head same as
female. Eyes dark and prominent.
Thorax about as long as abdomen. Abb
domen obtuse with short curved stylus.
Wings and legs same as those of female.
ITS INTRODUCTION.
The credit of the introduction of this
insect into the State belongs solely to
James Shinn OF Niles. The fig-growers
Of this State were and had been anxious
10 have the insect introduced so that its
= md iuh a