Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1902-03-23
Smyrna Class.

This embraces all varieties of figs
which do not mature with out the
agency of the insect or by artificial
pollination. Two distinct crops are
produced annually. both OF which con.
tain female flowers, the first appearing
in the current years wood IN March
and maturing in June, called "Bre.
bas:" the second, or the new wood just
as the former is ripening. Only few
OF the Brebas mature, the bulk of them
drop to the ground when quite small,
and those which do mature though
large, contain nothing but hollow
seeds and lack flavor and substance.
Their character can never be changed,
for when their flowers are receptive,
there are no pollen producing Capri
Figs.
The second crop commences to ma.
ture in Fresno County during the mid.
die of August and continues to ripen
up to the middle Of October, although
the crop is practically harvested in
September.
Adriatie Class.
This embraces all sorts which ma.
ture their fruits without the agency Of
the insect, and they can never be i'm.
proved. for they contain mal.formed
female or mule flowers, which can not
be fertilized.
There are a hundred or more sorts
Of this class growing in California. in.
cluded among them are the Old Mis-.
sion or California Black. White Adri.
attic. Brown Turkey, etc.
The White Adriatic has been more
extensively planted for drying pur
poses than any other, but 1t is admit.
ted by all having a knowledge of figs,
that II has nothing to recommend II.
no matter how manipulated or pro.
cessed, can II ever be made to compare
with the imported fig of commerce.
So well is this fact known, that our
figs are rushed to the Eastern market
as rapidly as possible. so as to take
advantage of bear market, the trade
recognizing the fact that California
Figs are very slow sale when the i'm.
ported article makes its advent.
caprifieation.
The Capri Fig stands in the relation
of male to the Smyrna Fig. although
from the preceding remarks 1t will be
understood that it is only in one crop
that male flowers are produced in a
quantity to be of any value.
Now follow the insect in its various
stages. II over.winters in the second
Mammoni crop and energies in April.
The male insect which Is wingless, Is
sues from the gall first-it never
leaves the fig. Crawling around 1t To-
Gates the gall containing the females
makes an opening with its powerful
mandibles and impregnates them and
then dies.
The female enlarges the opening
made by the male. crawls through the
orifice of the fig which is then open
and flies to Profchi Fig the gal
flowers of which are then ready to re
ceive the egg.
J Note the fact that this is in Apri
: and that this is the very same fig
J whose staminate or male organs d.
not mature before June.
\ The insect forces it's way into tn,
D fig. using a saw-like protuberance IN
3 der the thorax for that purpose. an,
= losing its wings in the operation. One
Q inside It crawls around and deposit
D one egg in each of the ovaries of tn
, gall flowers.
!, Work at the Orchard.
! The insects in these gals mature Il
IS June, the females in this instance, 4
It passing out Of the fig go through tn
h zone OF male flowers surrounding tn
u orlfice, which are then mature, an
D. get their bodies and wings busted wit
y pollen.
5. During the past season the capriflci
tion of the Smyrna Fig orchard at tn
Fanchor Creek Nurseries was conduc
N ~ ~ - - ~ ~ ~ ~ rArars