The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-06-27
Fig Culture in Southern Georgia.

Fig Culture in Southern Georgia.
A correspondent III. c asks why so little
attention is given TO figs nowadays He
makes the assertion that more figs were
grown, probably, in Georgia forty years
ago than are now. He wants to know why
this splendid fruit is 80 neglected. and fur
thermore, why its culture could not be
made fully as profitable as any other fruit.
Along with II. c., we are disposed TO in
quire into this subject and have all the light
possible turned upon IL for the benefit Of
ourselves and the intelligent horticulturists
who read the NEWS. We have no doubt
there are number among the latter who
can answer the question that II. c. hos pro-
pounded. Yes; why are there not more figs
grown in Georgia.
No fruit trees are more easily grown than
the fig and take any term of years you
choose, you will find it a more reliable
producer than the peach or pear, or even
the apple Anywhere In Georgia below the
33e degrees of latitude Chat Of Milledgeville)
the fig can be said to approximate the re-
liability Of the grape. While we use the
So as the line of demarcation no dou t we
might 18th safety have said the $50. It is
only now and then that the temperature
falls to 80 low a point In Middle Georgia as
to necessitate the cutting back to the
ground the trees that are frost bitten. In
the past fifteen years we have not had more
than three winters with weather severe
enough to cause serious damage
in the fig orchard. Qf we err
in this statement we trust we will be cor
rected, and we bespeak the aid Of our fig
growers in locating the destructive freezes
of recent years. One record records no
serious damage to fig trees since the men,
enable cold wave Of January, 1886. 18th to
14th), whom the mercury fell below 109 on
four consecutive mo- nings, with minimum
of O. and with mean of l0s for thirty-slH
hours. Southern hortIculturists have had
no such old wave to contend with since.
In fact only once since that time has
the temperature been lower than 19'
lat Milledgeville). OF course it Ia
not possible to determine to nicely
the exact degree Of cold that destroys the
stem as other Conditions are to be taken
into consideration-such as continuity OF
freeze, rapid elevation of temperature
immediately after freezing, sudden freeze
following a lengthy spell OF warm moist
weather occurring in midwlnter, etc. A
certain low temperature may be destructive
hE one time and harmless at another. But
we believe it may be safely asserted that no
apprecable injury results to the tree from
q winter minimum of 1S' or 90 unless infiu-
eAced by conditions just suggested.
As with the oleander it beco1es neces-
sary to cut away the PROSTITUTION boughs
as soon as the damage done thereto is
determined. 1t may be necessary to cut
back to the very surface and tnen again
very liberal pruning may be all sufficient to
neutralize the frost-bite. When the trees
are cut back to the surface the parts cut
away should be used as a mulch or pro-
lection against any repeated freeze The
new growth will be very rapid, Of course,
on the right kind of soil, and II will not be
very long before you have your fig tree
again. Under normal condition little or no
pruning OF the fig tree is called for. A lit
tie cutting back Of the branches may be
Done occasionally, but the tree needs very
little attention in this respect.
Our farmers and rural residents gen.
orally are to be encouraged in growing figs
OF more figs, and we shall devote several
chapters to the subject between now and
Isn. Prepare yourself for fig orchard
@ols coming season. You may plant only