Ronde Noire. – Large, round, but irregular; neck distinct, short; eye small; skin smooth, waxy, dark violet brown; pulp amber. Greatly to be recommended as a table fig. It is not related to Black Ischia or Osborn Prolific.
San Pedro, Black. – Very large, elongated ovate, with no stalk, but with well set neck; skin smooth, violet black with green neck; pulp red, coppery, tinted violet. For table use. The largest fig known. It is not related to the following variety:
San Pedro, White (syn. Brebas). – Very large, round, flattened at apex; stalk and neck short; eye open; skin thick, tender, of a bright yellow color or greenish in the shade, without bloom; pulp amber. A remarkable and handsome fig. Only the first crop matures without caprification. Suited only for table use. Requires moist, rich soil.
Verdal, Round. – Below medium, round pyriform, without stalk or neck; skin smooth, waxy, bluish green; eye closed; pulp dark, blood red. A small fig, but valuable for canning and preserves; better than the Ischias or Celeste. It does well in the Santa Clara Valley, but is inferior in the interior of the State.
CAPRIFICATION
This process must be practiced wherever the Smyrna figs are grown, for without it they will not mature either seeds or figs. The flowers of the Smyrna figs are all pistillate and require pollination, which in the case of these varieties can be effected on a large scale only through caprification. The process consists in the suspension of wild caprifigs, which possess staminate and gall flowers, in the Smyrna fig trees, when the pistils in the blossoms of the latter are in a receptive condition. A minute wasp, the Blastophaga, breeds in the caprifig in large numbers, and on leaving it crawls into the Smyrna fig, covered with the pollen of the caprifig. This pollen, transferred by contact from the body of the wasp to the receptive stigmas of the flowers in the Smyrna figs, effects the fertilization of the ovules of those flowers and causes them to form seeds and mature the fruit of which they are a part. These seeds impart a nutty aroma and flavor to the fig when dried, and give it a marked superiority to our common figs. Caprification is not yet practiced in the United States, the wasp not existing here, though both it and some of the Smyrna figs have been brought to this country several times. The first importation of Smyrna fig trees was made by Gulian P. Rixford, about 1880, when three varieties of Smyrna figs and a single caprifig tree were introduced.
CLIMATE SUITABLE FOR FIG CULTURE
A native of a semitropical climate, the fig requires a similar climate to attain perfection. Many horticultural varieties, however, have originated in temperate regions, and these can be grown with profit in a climate much colder than that of the habitat of the wild fig. Figs, in fact, may be grown in all regions where peaches and apricots succeed without protection, and if given winter protection they can be profitably grown in such regions near large cities which furnish a market for the fresh fruit at profitable prices.
In considering the suitability of the climate of a region for fig culture, the purpose for which the figs are to be grown must be first determined.
Figs may be grown for drying, for canning and preserving, for sale in the fresh state, or for general home consumption. As the conditions and treatment necessary to produce fruit suited to these different uses vary considerably, each subject will be discussed separately.
FIGS FOR DRYING
The best dried figs are produced in warm countries, such as the Mediterranean region of Europe, Asia Minor, Upper and Lower California, but especially in Asia Minor, in the valleys near Smyrna. The conditions of climate there are as follows: The days are moderately warm, the temperature seldom exceeding 90° F. These conditions prevail during the summer, while the figs are growing and ripening. The winter is seldom frosty. The winter climate, however, is of less importance, provided it is not cold enough to injure the young figs or the tips of the branches. Such frosts will not injure the second crop, which is used for drying, but it is a great drawback to the wild fig and to the fig insects, which are necessary to the maturing of the fruit of certain varieties of drying figs. The summer climate is almost rainless, while in winter there are abundant rains. The air in summer is not a dry, desert air, however, but carries considerable moisture. The moisture of the air is an important point, as in a very dry air the figs do not develop high flavor, but are “flat” in taste. During the drying season there should be little or no rain.
FIGS FOR TABLE USE
Figs are grown for the table as far north as Paris, in France, and in the south of England.
They may be similarly grown in most of the Middle States of the United States. In England figs are grown against walls as dwarf trees or shrubs, and the trees are covered with mats during the winter. In the vicinity of Paris the trees are dwarfed and grown as “suckers,” which are bent to the ground in winter and covered with several feet of soil. Only certain varieties are suitable for this culture, which, however, is very profitable. The figs produced are all “first crop” figs, and are as a rule of superior quality.
FIGS FOR PRESERVING, CANNING, AND HOME CONSUMPTION
Except in the most favored localities in the Southern States and California, these are the uses to which American-grown figs must be devoted. To produce fruit suitable for these purposes, freedom from fogs, from summer rains, and from spring frosts is essential. If there is a choice of locality, a warm southern or eastern exposure is to be preferred. The soil should be well drained, never swampy, and the locality should not be exposed to heavy winds. Elevated bottom lands or benches along creeks are the most favorable localities for figs. Large plains, swampy places, or exposed hillsides are all unfavorable. The nearer the conditions approach those of the Smyrna region the better. Rains during the fruiting season are frequently injurious to figs, causing them to crack and sour. Still, the fruit may be profitably grown where moderate summer rains occur.
SOIL
All varieties of figs do not require the same kind of soil. Most of them, however, must have a warm, moist, but not wet soil. A very few varieties thrive in a poor, gravelly soil, but most kinds require a deep, rich loam, containing a considerable percentage of lime, in order to produce superior figs. A moderate proportion of gravel tends to keep the soil warm and is desirable, but the soil must be rich.
PROPAGATION
The fig tree is easily propagated by the methods commonly practiced with fruit trees. It may be budded or grafted, but is most readily grown from cuttings. These may be planted where the trees are to stand or rooted in the nursery rows and transplanted later to the orchard site. Which method is advisable for any particular site depends upon the conditions there. If the soil and climatic conditions of the proposed location are favorable to the uninterrupted growth of cuttings, it is better and cheaper to plant them directly in the field. If there is any doubt on these points, or if the proper care and attention can not be given them, the better plan is to plant trees with good roots and well-formed heads, grown under favorable conditions by a nurseryman. The best time for making cuttings is after the leaves have fallen, when the fig tree is comparatively dormant. Cuttings may be made of either one year or two year old wood. If the cuttings are to be planted where they can remain, 2-year-old wood is preferable, as longer cuttings can be secured, but if they are to be planted in nursery, yearling wood is best. In either case the wood when freshly cut should disclose a moist surface, covered with small, whitish, milky drops. If dry when cut, it should be discarded. The length of the cutting must be regulated by the condition of the soil. If this is moist and likely to remain so the cuttings may be 12 to 18 inches long. If the surface soil is dry, the cutting should be sufficiently long to have its lower end in moist soil. On very dry soils this may require a cutting 3 or 4 feet in length, though such long cuttings are rarely needed, and in no case except when they are to be planted directly in the orchard. In making the cuttings care should be observed that the lower cut be made just below a joint or node and the upper one just above a joint. The best cutting is one which terminates in a bud and has a smooth, clean cut just below a joint at its base. No matter what the length of the cutting, it should always be planted so deeply that but one joint protrudes above the surface of the soil. This will prevent the drying out of the cutting by the action of sun and wind. It is better to have the top bud covered with earth than to leave a high stump projecting above the surface.
Fig trees may be grown from single eyes or short tips, in boxes filled with moist sand, set in frames and covered with cloth to keep the soil moist and cool. These will make fine trees in time, but they generally require to be a year older than those grown from large cuttings before they are suitable for planting in orchard. Great care should be exercised in removing fig cuttings or plants from one place to another. They dry out readily and a few moments’ exposure to the sun or hot, dry wind will seriously damage them. They should never be allowed to become dry, and should be wrapped in wet sacks or cloths as soon as taken from the trees or from the propagating bed. Cuttings partially dry may be revived by soaking in water, but fig roots once dry are dead and incapable of restoration to life.