Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1915-09-03

the fig trees to bear fruit. Other ex-
peditions were sent to Smyrna and
cuttings were taken from trees that
were known to be good producers. 1t
took years 10 try these out and they
failed TO ripen their fruit just as the
others had.
Trouble Lay in Fertilization
Then the growers decided that the
fault must lie with the fertilization of
the young figs. This problem they
studied on the shores of the Mediter-
ranean also. The United States gov
ernment sent experts abroad for the
purpose. These men found that grow
ing side by side with the great figs
of commerce there was always to be
observed a kindred plant known as
the caprifig. This was a wild fruit
or no commercial value. But, after
years of study, it was found that the
caprifig furnished the pollen that was
necessary to make the Smyrna fig
fertile. Without that pollen the fgs
of the Mediterranean would drop off
the tree Just as they did in California
Therefore the caprifig must always
grow near the orchards of the Smyrna
fig.
Bring I'm the Wild Fig
So the American men of science
brought the wild fig to California and
planted it in the barren orchards they
Adu 6AONil' II nearly an
other decade for it to gain maturity
When that time came the fig orchards
still remained as unproductive as they
had before. The mystery was still un-
solved.
One of the government scientists
tried artificial fertilization. He drew
piece of glass tube out to a very
small point. This he inserted into the
little hole in the end of the caprifig
and sucked some of the pollen into
the tube. Then he inserted this fine
end of the tube into the little hole of
a developing Smyrna fig, and blew.
Thus he figured, would he fertilize
the Smyrna fig.
The First Smyrna Figs
And he succeeded. The few figs ne
thus treated clung to the tree and
ripened. They were the first Smyrna
figs that ever matured in California.
The scientist had proved that the
orchards lacked only the transfer of
the pollen of the wild fig to the pod
of that which it wanted to ripen.
The scientists drew the conclusion
that America lacked the insect that
would bring pollen to the Smyrna fig.
Again an expedition was sent to
Smyrna. These men broke open the
wild figs of the age that yield pollen
In many of thees they found a tiny
insect which through a microscope
looked IKE wasp. Inc scientists
named it "blastophaga." They began
to watch the front doors of the Smyrna
figs and soon detected blastophaga
coming and going. In doing so il
evidently carried the pollen of the
wild fig and made il possible for the
prize specimen to develop.
Obviously the one thing necessary
to make the trees of California yield
figs was to get sufficient of these tiny
wasps to running in and out of the
holes of the young figs and wiping
their feet on the doormats But
bringing a colony OF these tiny crea-
lures half around the world and max
ing for them home under new con-
ditions is no small task To accom-
plish this the life cycle of the insect
must be understood, the food 1t re-
quires must be known and provided,
conditions must be created under
which it can make the long trip and
thrive afterward.
Several trails failed until, finally,
a consignment of the insects, brought
over in a living caprifig tree. arrived
at Just the right stage of their de-
velopment, Immediately went forth
upon their work of fertilization.
thrived and started a race of their
kind. They soon inhabited all the
caprihgs in California and all the
Smyrnas were yielding abundantly.
From their work a great industry has
grown.