The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1915-08-03
FIGS BY TIE LION
BY Frederlc J. Haskin


The ng just now is coming into e
most prominent place in our national
life. This is not the dried fg, which
is perhaps the only kind yon ever re
saw, but the live hg, growing abund-
antiy upon trees, and still more
abundantly in the imagination OF
snndry fig farmers.
For this newly acclimated fruit
now rivals the pecan and the apple
I In its claims to be means Of get
ting rich quick. Here is the way
certain fig enthusiasts have hgured
out their prospects:
Plant $50 trees to the acre. Each
tree will bear an average OF Htx
bushels to crop. There may be
two, or even three. crops a season.
A bushel Of figs weighs seventy
pounds for which ten cents q Dound
is said to be fair price. Allowing
for considerable shrinkage. tno
value of the crop from single acre
should be $4,000 Thus the pro
gressire Individual who plants hgs
may be sure OF entering the million
ARE class within Eve years and re-
firing upon his money soon AFTER
wards.
With such possibilities before him.
why sould the farmer toll hard. SOW
ing, harvesting, and planning M, ms
wheat crop. when his dg trees Will
take care of themselves after three
years, and he has only to hire cheap
labor to gather his fruit? He can
then sit back and wait, while MS
bookkeeper computes the amount OF
his income tax.
Its Big Poss bI'FieA
Joking and effervenscsnt enthusl-
asm aside, though. the fig has horI
cultural and commercial possibilities
in this country which are Just begin
ming to be recognized. New varl-
cites. adapted to dicerent climatic
conditions, are being brought FOR
ward. and in several states the ne
acreage has doubled within the last
five years. In 1910 there were less
than three million fig trees in the
United States Now five million IS
regarded as conservative estimate.
In 1910 they were confined amos amos
entirely to the extreme Southwest.
Now hourishing crops are being
produced In Texas, Louisiana, Mtssis-
lsippi. Alabama and Georgia. and are
being planted in Kansas, Oklahoma
nd Ohio. while at least one farm as
far north as Rhode Island is yielding
good profits.
During the last few years sort
tof fig craze has been spreading over
". 0AOSASA0
I1le of small incomes are drawing
Ii their hoardings out of the SAVINGS
banks and passing them over to De
Invested in hg farms, varying IN SIZE
from half acre up.
The figs industry will yield big re-
turns to planters who have the
proper soil and climatic conditions,
hut it cannot be grown as widely az
! a now being claimed. Neither can
ltbe farmer plant his fig tree and rest
lluxurious under its shade until the
fruit comes. He must work for II.
md keep vigilant guard TO protect
\ Il from insects and other pests.
Difficulties Remain.
The fie is native chiefly to ASA
and Africa, but has proved ltsell !
adapted to number OF regions: ~
is found in different varieties In tenn
narate as well as in semt-troptcal 10
ica1;ties San Francisco, Pueblo ana
.Wichita. Kan. are parallel to the 10
caIitses in which excellent varteties
are produced upon the other sloe y y
lIhe world There seems to be no
scientific reason why the same VAR
cites should not flourish here, anu
i experiments are going on loWa sa.as
That end. But all the diniculsls .
have not yet ben overcome. E Nt ..4 g.
'ariin gton Farms, the experiment sLa-
10, If the department Of agriculture
-, washington. most Of the varieties
tried have proved of doubtful rella-
thiisfv because they do not fully me ma
t,re all of their fruit before the frosS.
several amateurs in the city OF WASH
|.ington, growing one or more 49, -.
In their own gardens or doory s.En,,
have seefingly been aoH 20 iip sor
sn..a,a1 Seasons. but whether 1t coulo
s'sl. q In commercial quantities
lis another matter.
aacl having many varieties. Inc Inc
fvnes are known as the smyrna a..
4 the Adriatic, and it is the iorn s,.
which has lately developed SO LUZ ..s,,
/ enthusiasm, and is produclns SUE 4.
I'LL, uNs To weld two crops. provided
tha season is long enough. It Is pc
lived that the Adriatic fig, however,
g ~ tho one best suited to American
- tsc conditions outside OF soutn-
ern California.
Depends ON Wasp.
The Smyrna fig tree produces three
distinct kinds of blossoms. ana
nends for polization upon. cerIaLn
enecies of wasp, known as the BIAS
spe,,a Sin The spring fig blossoms
re Fertile pollen, but are without
nis,ils In summer the flowers are
p.s1m1 the pollenated stamens. while
the autumn flowers are sterile ouL
nis+tlated- For nearly twenty wears
liter the fig tree had been introduces
.linto California, 1t grew in1ur1anI lss
4 hut produced NO fruit Inen -
stata sent scientist to Asia to study
s tba rlant In It's native land and as
a ear nth the cause of its unproductiye-
&c Se. ss-i n, this country. The expert
found that the tree was inhabited oy
the Blastophagia, which Is the asen.
Of fertilization. ~,