The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-06-02
"why Not More Figs" and olives.

I have just been reading your article
why Not More Figs" says a writer
in Florida Agriculturist. 1t all seems
easy enough and in some parts of
Florida, l think it is, but here on the
sand hills it is quite another thing, and
yet we do grow them here, at least
do in a small way, that is enough for
my own use. But between the root
knot. draught, fungus that is on both
leaves and fruit, wasps, yellow jack
cts, hooking birds, jays and woodpeck-
erS, we have a time of it. If one fig
here and there is. picked by birds it
sounds all right but your good editor
got it in on the wrong side of the
house. at least for this section. For
this section it should read, IF you are
fortunate enough to find a fig not
punctured by your feathered friends"
So-called, and would be too, if they
only adhered to their own peculiar
calling. How pleasant it would be to
find some of the fruit after all your
care and trouble, sound and uninjured
by either insect or bird.
This year l shall cover a couple of
trees with wire netting and cheese
cloth, and see if these two won't keep
them out and let us enjoy the fruit
ourselves, for longer period than US
ual for with us, as soon as the birds
and insects find them good, good-by
figs. Shooting does some good but
you can't sit up night and day, gun in
hand, to watch them.
1 hear you say. plant enough for all.
That seems good theory. but it won't
work here. have tried that too. The
netting and cheese cloth will, l believe,
protect them and I shall try it, and
ther l won't be asking, why not more
figs. The fungus and root-knot 1 can
control, but the birds and insects, my!
1t makes me wilt when l think of
them.
I have tried many kinds of figs on
the sand hills and 1 find the White
Marseilles. Brunswick and Brown Tur-
key the best for this section, while
1 have some fine White Adriatics. the
finest of all the figs I have yet tried.
l find them somewhat difficult to grow
here in this loose sand, but in the ham,
mock or in good compact land, either
naturally rich and moist or made so,
1 can't see any reason why not more
figs, especial white Adriatics
are not grown This is a
large fruit, greenish white skin.
with a beautiful pink inside. 1 have
them so large that six would fill a
quart measure. Then they are so cas-
lily dried, much more so than any other
fig l have tried.
There is another fruit 1 first learned
to like in California many years ago,
and that is the olive. l wonder if any
one has ever mad them to fruit in South
Florida. In 1894 the government sent
me some quite small-rooted cuttins of
the Picholina and Nevadilla Blanco va
rieties. The Picholina has had the best
care and is quite a large tree, and full
of young fruit and so far seems to
hold its fruit. The other has not made
such a growth. but has some fruit, too.
They have both done well with but
little care. They make a fine growth
here in the sand hills. and / wonder
If the fruiting of this tree so album
dainty might yet mean a new industry
for the sand hills section. l have been
told time and again by the wise ones
this pretty tree was all that I would
ever look at. just the tree and no fruit.
but / have been told much here in
Florida that / have never paid any at
tention 10. In this year / counted on
It's blooming in a small way 10 begin
with. But sir. Il now hangs with fruit.
some one-quarter 10 one-half inch long
and more fruit just showing their
faces, and so Tar none on the ground;