Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1900-01-05
DATES AND FIGS.
Promising Fruits From abroad Fer
the West and South.


Promisins Fruits From Abroad Fer
the West and South.
Mr.. w. T. Swingle, who went to Eu-
rope as an agricultural explorer. has
returned and has made a report to
Secretary Wilson of the results of his
trip to the countries along the Medi-
terranean. The following extracts from
the report show some Of the more im-
portant results Of Mr.. SWingle's inyes
legations: An important work which
Secretary Wilson has under way is
the Introduction Of the finer sorts OF
date palms from the old world into the
arid or semiarid southwest.
The date palm must have q very hot
and very dry climate to ripen good
fruit and yet can stand considerable
frost in winter. It produces the best
fruit on the sandiest soils, and for
other crops the poorest soils. and 1t
thrives on all soils, even those white
with alkali. An abundant water sup
ply is, however, necessary. Realizing
the great Importance of the date palm
to the southwest. the secretary directed
Mr.. SWingle to visit the Algerian date
palm plantations and study the meth
DDS OF culture followed there and es-
pecially to secure plants Of the true
Degletnoor and other superior yarie-
ties. This has been done, and the first
shipment has reached the experiment
station In Arizona, and others will ar
rive later
investigations made at the Arizona
experiment station show that the date
viii succeed in Arizona The Arabs
propagate the plant by removing and
planting the suckers which appear ct
the base Of the stem, since b varie-
ties do nOt5come true from seed. These
suckers are what Mr.. SWingle obtain
ed from half q dozen cases in the SaS
hara desert.
While pursuing his investigations MI.
| Swingle secured large numbers OF the
~blastophaga insect for the caprifca-,
ton Of the fig. GAprifications Is q proc
ess praeticed In the countries about the
| Mediterranean from the earliest times
and still considered essential By the
growers Of Smyrna figs. To insure
capriacation the peasants suspend SO
called capEi6gs in the branches OF the
common fig tree just as the young figs
are forming. From two to six of the
caprifgs, which look exactly like small,
hard. green figs, are threaded on q
rush, and the chapel is then thrown
into the branches. From 20 to 30
caprifgs suffice for a large tree. These
caprifgs are the fruit of the male form
Of the species or which the ordinary
fg tree is the female. The caprifig tree
does not bear edible figs, but, instead
small, tough fruits filled with little
gals, from which issue minute, black,
wasplike insects-the blastophagas.
These fig insects in forcing their way
out OF the capriigs become coated with.
pollen. Then lie they enter the ordi-
nary or female fg. just developing at
this season (July), they rub of the
pollen on the flowers inside the fg,
which thus becomes fortified and rip
ems good seeds, an action beneficial to
the fig growers In two ways-frst, in
preventing the fig from dropping off
when half grown, and, second, from
the rich nutty flavor which the seeds
give to the fruit.
Not all varieties OF figs require CAPRI
fcation, and indeed there are already
many sorts which have for a century
fruited a~bundantly In the south and
southwest. Itsis, however, absolutely
necessary to caprify the best sorts Of
figs for drying. The insect has begun
IN hroad An 1sa3sfornia and n iS hnnad
that 1T will succeed In passing the
winter and becoming permanently es-
tabiished.
We may now confidently expect to
see the dried fruit industry establish
ed shortly not only in California, but
also In Arizona and in all regions In
the south and southwest where there
are no ffosts severe enough to kill the
orange tree and where the weather is
dry during August and September.
4 Hungarian Wheat For the Middle