The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-01-13
SCIENCE REVEALING NATURE

most interesting and remarkable in
stance in which science has adopted and
applied the method taught by nature in
the accomplishment of a purpose of the
highest value to humanity is related in
the current number of the Forum by
Mr. L. E. Howard the secretary of the
American Association for the Advance
ment of Science. 1t Is story of a new
American industry brought about by an
insect.
For centuries the trade of the world
In dried figs has been controlled by the
countries bordering on the Mediterranean
sea, and chiefly by Turkey and Algiers.
The fruit growers of California and Of
the United States generally, despite all
their ingenuity and enterprise, have found
themselves unable to compete in this in
dustry with the countries of the old
world The American fig found sale in
the market only when the Turkish or AL
gerian fig was no longer available; but
can product if it -ound any sale at all,
| merely found a market which did not
pay for its production The superiority
of the Smyrna fig was such that compe-
tition had become an impossibility.
Naturally the first step taken to over
come the difficulty was the transpIanta-
ton to our soil of the Smyrna fig. Sew
eral thousand cuttings were imported and
HiStrihlIte6 IN oron,iDep+ frui+ yro1rars
When these trees came into bearing the
fruit failed to mature however, and
dropped to the ground after reaching the
size of a marble. The conclusion was
at once reached that the Smyrna folks
had practiced a little confidence game
on an unsuspecting people by sending the
wrong kind of fig tree; but the explana-
ton was soon shown to be wrong, and
the proof brought with it unexpected dis
closures
DR.. Eisen was then a member of the
California Academy of Science He it
was who called attention to the fact that
from time away back in the centuries,
as related by such writer's as Aristotle
and Theophrastus it had been the Gus
tom of the Orientals to pluck the fruit
of the wild fig tree at certain time of
the year and suspend them In the
branches of the Smyrna or cultivated fig
trees. He Furthermore pointed out that
there issued from the wild figs a little
insect which, covered with pollen, enter
ed the cultivated figs, and that the lat
ter afterward developed and ripened into
the delightful Smyrna fruit.
Here was the secret. At once the wild
fig tree of Algiers was introduced into
California, and with it the little in
sect before referred To- Experiments
went forward in this direction with the
result that the Smyrna figs grown in Cali
forEia no longer dropped unmatured to
the ground, but grew and fourished
until they presented themselves to their
growers not only as good as their
foreign-grown kindred, but better in
flavor and size. Fifteen tons were har-
vested during September and October of
last year, which when tested were found
to contain Ia per cent more sugar than
the foreign fig.
The Importance of this discovery from
the commercial view may be understood
when 1t is recalled that, Notwithstanding
our past efforts to produce figs from
custom tariff schedules by shutting out
the foreign product, our impOrtations of
the Smyrna fig have ranged in value from
$500, 900 TO 100000 annually in recent years.
The explanation? Well it is simple
enough Science furnishes it, as science
discovered the meaning of the practice
on the part of the sem-barbarous IA
tives of Algiers for centuries Of covering
the branches of the Smyrna fig trees
appears that the young Smyrna fig con-
tains female flowers only; that without
the introduction Of the pollen which sur
rounded the insect coming from the wild
fig, the seeds would not form, and that
upon the formation and maturing of the
seeds depend the ripening of the Smyrna
fig which is not fruit of the ordinary
kind, but a receptacle filled with small
flowers. With the introduction of the
Wild, or Capri. fig. with its male, pollen
bearing, flowers and the little insect
which carries the pollen, the mystery was
solved; and now genuine Smyrna figs,
which the trade will assure us have all
been imported, will hereafter be furnish
ed to the American people from the sr-
chards of southern California and ulti-
mately of other sections of the United
States.
What will Benjamin Harrison do if the
supreme court should decide against
him?
Havana used to be one of the most
unhealthy cities in the world. but two
years American control has wrought
marvellous transformation.
1t is to be hoped that Senator Hoar
will not offer resolution that statue
Of shall ha r,Jaoe5 in tho rro