The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-12-10
3. .RMINGHAM WOMAN WHO IS RAISING F|GS Gets Neat Revenue From Her Orchard in Backyard THRIVE IN THIS CLIMATE Mrs. Vaughan Says There Is Demand for All the Fresh Fruit She
 Can Produce at Good
 Prices
THRIVE IN THIS CLIMATE
BY WALTER HARPER


 The fig seems to have been one of the principal fruits in the Garden of Eden.
 It's leaves were used for clothing the bodies of the worlds oldest inhabitants.
 The fruit has figured prominently in the history of almost every age of man. The vine and the fig tree are the symbols or plenty ano domestic peace.
 Yet the fig Is not appreciated as it
 might ho in this age, and N this saiuo- rioas climate where with reasonable care 1t will produce bounteously.
 Ii remains for Birmingham woman to demonstrate what may be done with this delicate and famous fruit.
 ,rb.. ,yoman Is Mrs. William Vaughan of No. 715 South Twenty-eighth street.
 Her orchard Is the vacant space on the moderate sized city lot on which her home Is located.
 Her net proceeds this year from figs were sSe 50 and she had none of the trouble and expense of packing and ship ntnr. All the fruit she raised was sold in the yard or at the door. She could have sold many times more.
 The fig is a poor shipper for the reason that it is soft and will show marks of shipping even after a very short distance Then. figs gathered fresh and ripe from the treee are much sweeter, as well as more rYesentable and the local demand for fruit in such condition is naturally strong.
 Mrs. Vaughan sold most of her figs to neighbors and residents of the South Highlands. who sent for them and paid for them at her home. She received 25 cents per quart for all the figs she sold.
 "The raising of figs for the market should he one of the most profitable in- dust. les that farmers in this section could engage in," said Mrs. Vaughan yester- day. "They are easy to raise, the trees grow very rapidly and begin bearing the second year I have always found a good market for all I could raise right at my door. You are able to supply the fruit in ripe, fresh condition, and figs are always much better this way. They will not bear shipping any distance and re- tain that plump, fresh state that makes the fruit so acceptable.
 '.rhc demand for fresh figs In Birming- ham is always very strong and at good prices for choice fruit
 "I made my first attempt at raising figs some years ago. The trees have been Silleo once, but I soon had new trees gr, wing. You must figure against frost, disease and other disadvantages in every undertaking The chances for success in growing figs are as good as in most any thing else, I suppose. Anyway, you must take chances with any enterprise.
 T have 30 trees in my yard now. Twen- ty of them are bearing. I have six va rieties, all of them well selected. It pays to have the best trees at any price and then to take good care of them. Fig u ees, however, require but little atten- ton after they are growing. The trees and the fruit are not subject to diseases like peaches and some other fruits, and they generally bear we'll
 q have the celestial, which I think is the best for all purposes; the White Ischia, the Brown Turkey. the Bruns- wick, the Blue Genoa and the Dalmation varieties. I had one fig this year from a White Ishia tree that measured nine inches in circumference. This variety grows very large, but believe the small CT varieties are the sweetest and best for general purposes.
 q get a great deal of satisfaction out of the work, though 1t keeps me pretty busy during the gathering season. see to all the work of gathering, sorting and delivering to the customers myself.
 T hope to largely increase the income on my little orchard by next year, when I will have more trees bearing. The in- come is small, of course, but take pride in making 1t as large as possible, and then there'is lots of satisfaction in know ing that you are able to produce some thing
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