The record-union., 1891-11-28

believe that he discovered the bug, but
had also produced it, "What egotism
now selfish, oh man ~
As to the history of the introduction of
the Blastophaga and how it came about,
l cannot do better than give Mr.. Shinn's
own statement, viz:
Mr.. Shinn-We wrote to some friends
that were known to US in Smyrna, or
rather some missionaries were stopping
at my house, and seeing that my figs did
not bear, and that | was getting uneasy
about it, one of the ladies, my wife's sis
ter, said she knew lady from Syracuse,
\. Y, who was then in Smyrna, and if
she would write to her she would fix up
few of the fig cuttings and send them.
The lady sent for them, and instead of
sending half-dozen cuttings sent whole
box OF cuttings, on which ] paid about
500. After l received this box, here
comes another little box and a letter, say
ing: 1.-THE figs must be caprified, if not,
you will get no figs. l sent you little
box of figs that are full of the Blasto-
phaga, and hope you can do well with
them" The moment we got them my
son went out to the Capri fig tree, opened
the box and set it out there. Some of the
insect were dead and some were alive. /
saw Mr.. Eisen the next day, and told
him about the Blastophaga and the figs.
He and Mr.. Maslin came to my place the
Sunday following, July 26th. We ex-
amlned and found some live insects, but
most of them were dead. The Smyrna
figs that were caprified, that is, that had
the pollen put in artificially, came to per-
tection, but no others did. Two crops
have all gone on the ground, and are now
on the ground, except about ten figs. The
pollen that was injected into the figs was
from the Capri figs grown on my place at
Niles. There are two varieties of the
Smyrna fig. One has a three-lobed leaf
and the figs small and elongated. The
other is a five-lobed leaf, and the figs are
flat and roundish.
ARTIFICIALLY CAPRIFIED FIGS.
Mr.. Shinn then exhibited three figs
which were caprified by means of a quill
toothpick #-two roundish and one elong-
ated. In answer to question as to the
opening of the figs at the time they were
fertilized, Mr.. Shinn could not remember,
but said: 'The insect knows how to get
in if it must; that is a provision of nature.
Only the figs that We're caprified have
come to perfection; the others all dropped
off,"
Question-We those figs caprified by
the insect or artificially?
Mr.. Shinn-Artificially.
Question-Then there is no fig that has
come to maturity known to have been
caprified by the insect?
Mr.. Shinn-None at all.
Mr.. Maslin, who was present, was re-
quested to state his views and observa-
tons, which he did, as follows:
Mr.. Maslin-On the 26th of July went
over with Mr.. Eisen, at his invitation, to
examine the Blastophaga. We met Mr.
shinn,s SON. who pointed out to us fig
tree which he said was q Capri fig, and
one of the importation made by the San
Francisco Bulletin Company. The others
in the rows belonged to the edible fig.
We found in the boughs of that Capri fig
tree the box containing the Capri figs
imported by Mr.. Shinn, with quite
large number of dead Blasto-
dried Capri figs and found them literally
black with insects, which began to move,
but very sluggishly. The size of the in
sect is about one line, one-Uwelfth of an
inch. We then took some of those in
sects and scattered them at the so-called
blossom end of some Of the Capri figs
and some of the figs known as the BuIte-
TINS importation. Mr.. Eisen then pro-
ceeded to fertilize some of the figs. We
found that the fallen Capri figs from the
growing tree on the ground were full of
pollen. Cutting them open, Mr. EiSen
busted the pollen about the open end of
various figs. / suggested to him that we
should insert the pollen by means of a
toothpick. I picked up a fig and
uuSLSu IuS DOliSu lIIO uly HdHC, Ill-
ing the toothpick with the pollen, and
he inserted the toothpick into sew
eral figs. We pollenated several
figs with the pollen of the Capri fig, then
went round at the end of the row and
proceeded down toward the south and
pollenated probably twenty figs in
several places, selecting such figs as
showed growth. We then tied string at
each place below the fig that was pollen
ated, so as to find them afterward.
Question-Mr. Eisen claims to have in
serted quill into an edible fig, and when
he withdrew it there was Blastophaga at
the end of the quill. He so stated in his
lecture on the Blastophaga.
Mr.. Maslin-I recollect that on a tree
next to the Capri fig there was Blasto-
phaga; but doubt the correctness of the
statement, because we were not looking
for any insect in the fig, and you don't
generally find something you are not
looking for. We were not looking for
insects.
Question-How large were the figs you
operated on?
Mr.. Maslin-About one and one-half
inches long and one and one-quarter
inches thick.
Question-How were the openings of
the figs at that time?
Mr.. Maslin-To the eye they were not
open. Closed as tight as tight could be.
Question-In your opinion, was it pos
sible for an insect to get in?
*This operation was first conceived of by
Geo. G. Roeding OF Fresno, and thus matured
Smyrna figs in 1890, and also in 1891.