Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1908-02-26
FIG PACKING IN SMYRNA.
This Means Work for Many Thou
sands I'm Early Fall.

This Means Work for Many Thou
sands I'm Early Fall.
The account of fig packing in Smyr-
ma by Consul Norton is of interest to
the growing fig industry of California,
where, it is claimed, the Smyrna fig Is
grown better than the original, says the
New York Post. The consul says that
the fruit ripens about the middle Of
August, VIXEN it is picked and dried in
the open air in from three to six days.
1t is then packed in sacks of about $50
pounds each two of which constitute
load for a camel, and transported to
the nearest railroad station. After ar
rival at Smyrna camels likewise trans
port the sacks to the warehouses of the
dealers. Carts are not employed in this
connection, as the fruit is liable to be
damaged VIXEN the sacks are piled one
on the other. The arrivals from the
country are promptly bought up by the
various great packing houses, who have
each a large corps of employees. chiefly
women and girls, for the operations of
sorting, washing, drying and packing
tie fruit. This means work for many
thousands in Smyrna during the
months of September and October and
the average degree of prosperity among
the lower classes during the entire year
is largely dependent upon the amount
Of money set in motion during this
short period.
The sorting of the figs is carried out
with great care. Color, but more
especially size and thickness, or rather
thinness, Of skins, guides the claSsif-
cation. The inferior grades, the So
called "hordas," culls or refuse, are
eliminated and sold for purposes of dis
tillatiOn. A certain quantity of this
grade is exported to Austria and Hun
gary and used as a substitute for cEic-
ory The delicate flavor of Vienna COT
fee Is due to the presence of dried fig
powder.
The better grades are prepared for
export in various ways. The least ex-
pensive is packing in linen or other
bages and is used usually for the less
:
are subjected to a certain manipulation
before being tightly packed in boxes
containing from one to eleven pounds.
During the manipulation the workmen
continually dip their fingers in sea wa
ter. AS a result the fruit is better pre-
served and the sweetness is not dimin-
ished by long keeping. Tie term "mac-
aroni figs" is applied to fruit which
has been gently rolled between the
palms of the hand, so as to resemble
an elongated ellipsoid. 'Loucoum
figs" are prepared by pressing the fruit
into a rectangular form, not dissimilar
In size and appearance to the oriental
confectionery we'll known under the
name of Turkish delight" or "lou-
coum"
The great majority of the ctoicer
figs (the so-called oleme, |. e., selected)
are packed in layers. The upper side
Is split and the fig is f1attened out
This method allows expert manipulate
ors to give more presentable appear
ance to small figs than is possible In
preparing "macaroni" or "loucoum"
figs. The "macaroni' style of packing
| involves the least disturbance to the
internal structure of the fruit. The
''loucOum" style leaves it most nearly
| the original size and is tie best adapt
ed for any subsequent manipulation by
| importers. The latter two methods are
the most favorable for proper curing
during transportation. Boxes of figs
| prepared by any of the three latter
methOdes are usually exported In crates
holding about $50 pounds.