Arizona republican., 1903-09-11

imported from Smyrna were planted at different places in the state, and almost | without exception all grew fiourishing- | ly. But it was found that they would | Tot bear fruit ;at any rate, the fruit l they bore would not mature. It was known that in Smyrna there was an other tree called the capri fig. which was regarded as the male tree. This tree was imported, and it also flourish ed but still the Smyrna did not yield, and it was evident something else was lacking. Practical hortculturists. like MT. Roeding. after prolonged investiga- tion decided that the absent element was a small insect whose duty it was to carry the pollen from the capri to the Smyrna tree. It had been ascer- tained, they believed, that this insect. called the blastophagus. lived in the capri or male fig until a certain season and then transferred it's residence to the Smyrna fig
 Scientists hooted at this theory. but MT. Roeding went ahead with his aX- periments. He took pollen from the capri with a toothpick and introduced All of the figs so treated developed into fine, healthy fruit. equal to the best imported figs. while those not treated became shriveled and blasted The de- partment of griculture became inter- ested, and sent a man to Smyrna to bring to this country some of the blas- tophaga, or fig wasps. The insects were duly forwarded to MT. R7eding, and he proceeded with his experiments. It was found very singularly, that the natural habitat of the fig wasp is the capri fig, and the insect does not go near the Smyrna fig by preference. The fruit of the capri is not good, and the cnly office performed by the tree is to furnish a home for the wasp Tho fly enters the capri fig al the season when its flowers are ripe, and deposits it's egos within these flowers. There the eggs remain throughout the win
 
 to fly they hunt other capri flowers. and die as soon as their eggs are laid. But at this point man steps in and produces the Smyrna fig. He breaks off a branch of the capri fig, contain ing figs and their wasps, and throws them up into the limbs of thc Smyrna. When the blGstophagus makes her exit from the capri fig she searches for new fig in which to enter She finds the Smyrnai fig at hand. and enters it. carrying the pollen of the capri on her wings. She attempts to deposit her eggs in the fewer of this fig. but find ing them SO constructed that she can not. she turns around. emerses from the fig and drops dead upon the ground. With the capri fig branches hung in a Smyrna tree. numerous wasps are mo- ticeable buzzing around the figs and entering them and in this manner the pollenization of an entire Smyrna tree Is effected. Last year MT. Roeding had large crop oi Smyrna f1gs which he placed on the market at so large a profit that this year he has set out an orchard of one hundred and sixty acres additional. The Smyrna fig is worth. on the California market s cents per pound, and it is reasonable to expect that this figure will not be reduced for many years to come, as the demand will keep constantly up with the supply.
 The Smyrna fig begins to bear in four. years from the planting. and in the first year of bearing each tree should have twenty pounds of figs. The tree is ma ture in ten years. and then bears from two hundred to three hundred pounds per tree. Planted forty feet apart, enc acre will hold seventy-nine trees. As already indicated, however. small fraction of the ground must be reserv- ed for capri trees. It is readily seen that at present prices the yield per acre from mature trees would be worth more than s1,2cO. The tree lives to a great age.
 The fruit is very. simple and inaxpen- sive to gather and cure. The fig falls to the ground. It needs only to be pick ed up they are gathered from tn? ground every two days, dipped into boiling salt water, and spread on trays to dry. Following this they are sweat