The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1913-05-08
SMALL FRUITS IN FLORIDA
(by Lee Latrobe Bateman.)
Eiss.

1t is a great plLy that hitherto
the fig has rccei, SO little atten-
ton in Florida. The climate is IDEAL
for it's culture, while there Is not a
county in the State in which figs
could not he successfully raised.
There is continued increased de-
mand for the fresh fruit in northern
markets, which could be easily
reached from Florida, and there is,
or at least could be, a ready sale
fer the fruit when in season at all
the large towns or cities in Florida
such as Jacksonville, Tampa, etc.
Then, again, the fig-canning, or,
more correctly speaking, fresh fig
preserving industry is rapidly ex-
tending in the south, with the de-
mari for the product still greater
than the supply. The Pullman Com
many alone now takes the entire out
out of the Texas preserving plants,
and some preserving companies Will
make tiye-year contracts with grow
ers in order to assure certain and
continuous supply.
The dried fig industry is centuries
and centuries old, and there are up
wards OF 20,0OO,OOO pounds OF dried
figs annually imported into tAe Unit
ed States.
The Gg is Fiscus Garcia. The In
dia rubber plant (F. classical, with
its suD-varieties, the Banyan tree
IL. BenGhalensis), of which there
is a fine specimen at Key West, are
10th of the same family. A native
ct Asia, it gradually spread with
civilization along the littoral OF the
Mediterranean sea, finding its prin-
cipal home beyond its native shores
ir Italy AMI Spain. In these coun-
tries, where it thrives to parfec-
ton, the fig has been for centuries
end still is one Of their most impor-
tant articles Of food, while on the
Asiatic side of the Mediterranean
tho industry of drying and export
ing the product mas been in exist
ence for thousands Of years.
, Pages upon pages ami interesting
ones, too, could be written on the
fig, on the prominence given it In
I biblical, classical and other histories,
and on the important role the plant
played even in mythology; yet all
this time here we arc In Florida
with barely enough trees to furnish
fig leaves even for the population,
let alone thefruit, while markets
close at hand are demanding the
produce, ami we are doing little or
nothing to supply them.
Florida has the climate. almost
identical with that Of the native
home of the fig In the Holy Land;
1t has been proven that our soil IL
suitable for its growth. and our
! horticulturists and nurserymen
have, after years Of patient expert
menting. determined the right va
rieties adaptable for Flori1a. 80 the
field is open and the path 10 clear
for a really serious consideration Of
commercial fig growing In Florida.
A beginning. at least, can be made
by every home having q couple or
more trees In Its yard. and. II space
permits, q small plantation Of a
dozen trees or SO. Thus can the in
.1ustry be built up--"From small
acorns thus oaks do grow"
For long time tig-growlng in
North America WAS confined solely
to the Pacific coast, where it's COM
mercial cultivation has made great
strides. Fig culture in tho Caro-
linas was tried. and at one time
there was great promise and much
enthusiasm, but it proved in the
end very disappointing, due to two
or three severe winter spells. Bul
the extent to which the cultivation
OF the tig and the accompanying in
dustry OF preserving the fresh fruit
! have grown during the last few
years in the gulf coast region OF
Texas is almost phenomenal. The
Magnolia fig is the favorite variety
| grown there and the renowned pre-
served fresh fig of the Pullman din
ing car is the product OF the Mag
nolia. The Texas Gulf coast seems,
However, to be its particular home.
/ for on the higher soils of Florida and
elsewhere it has not given the same
satisfactory results attained in the
fig belt of Texas.
The so-callcd Smyrna fig of Asia
Minor is the great fig Of commerce.
This includes many varieties, but
, which are all classified as Smyrna
from the fact that they are shipped
from that port to the markets of
/ the world. The peculiarity of this