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THE AGRICULTUKAL NEWS. 



December 21, 1912. 



FRUITS AND FRUIT TREES. 



THE PRODUCTION OF FIGS. 



The AgrieulturaL Neics for August 19, 1911, 

 contained an article dealing with the production of 

 Smyrna tigs. In connexion with this matter, it has 

 been thought well to draw attention to the following 

 details which should be considered in relation to the 

 account j'ist mentioned. They appear in an article 

 in Nature for November 14, 1912, reviewing Die 

 Feigenbduvie Italiens unci Hire Beziehungen zu 

 einander by Dr. Ruggiero Ravasini, which has just 

 iippeared. 



When men began to plant wild fig trees in their gardens, 

 they would, of course, propagate them by cuttings. Now 

 cuttings of the wild fig tree are found to reproduce the 

 characters of the branches from which they were taken. By 

 taking cuttings from branches destined to bear spring inflor- 

 escences, trees have been produced in which only the spring 

 inflorescences regularly attain complete maturity; these trees 

 are Caprifigs (goat figs), which are practically male. In the 

 same way, by using as the parent stock branches which bear 

 summer inflorescences, trees have been produced which are 

 entirely female. Of these two tlie caprifig alone is capable 

 of harbouring the insect guest during its growth period. 



Two fig trees, very different in appearance and function, 

 have thus been developed by the action of men out of the 

 single primitive stock; they are often called nariefies, but 

 Tschirch and Eavasini .show that they are really artilicially 

 produced sexual forms of one and the same natural species, 

 viz., of the wild fig tree. One proof is that seeds of the 

 cultivated fig tree produce either caprifigs or inferior fruiting 

 figs. A further proof is yielded by the fact that the female 

 Blastophaga, when laden wil,h eggs, can only Hy a very short 

 distance. Hence we infer that she is adapted to a monoecious 

 fig tree, in which all the forms of inflorescence are to be 

 found on one tree The cultivated fig tree is practically 

 dioecious, and without artificial pollination ripens no seed. 

 Only one monoecious tree is known, which can be regarded 

 as a possible common ancestor of the two infertile forms, 

 caprifig and fruiting cultiv.ited fig; this common ancestor is 

 the wild fig tree. 



Fig cultivators must have become early acquainted with 

 the Blastophaga and the effects of its visits, for the female 



flowers of the fig remain unfertilized if no Blastophaga enters 

 ihera, and unfertilised female inflorescences (in unimproved 

 fig trees) fall off' prematurely. To prevent such failures, the 

 expedient was successfully tried (ages ago) of fastening to 

 the female trees ripe staminate inflorescences of the wild 

 fig trees. Blastopbagas and pollen were thus supplied 

 together, and the female inflorescences duly ripened In 

 course of time the inflorescences of the wild fig tree were 

 replaced by those of the caprifig, which answer the same ' 

 purpose, and are easily raised on the spot. Thus arose the 

 practice cl 'caprifieation' which is essential to the production 

 of the best keeping or drying figs. 



The dried figs of commerce, which are all seed-bearing, 

 absolutely require fertilization by the Blastophaga, and this is 

 most easily secured by caprification. But if only fresh 

 edible fruits are desired, caprification may be dispensed with. 

 By long-continued selection it has been found possible to 

 create v&rieties in which the unfertilized figs do not fall off 

 prematurely, but develop into a valuable fruit. The large, 

 non seeding, sweet and juicy table figs of north and mid Italy 

 require no pollination at all. Eavasini calls this the greatest 

 triumph of fig culture. 



The Turkish Silk Industry. — Brusa and Beirut 

 are the chief centres of the silk industry in Turkey, and the 

 gross annual production of fresh cocoons in the Empire may 

 be estimated at 33,000,000 tt., valued at £1,875,000. From 

 80 to 8-5 per c^t. of this is spun in Turkey, the rest 

 being exported to continental markets. The spun silks are 

 almost entirely exported, as the native looms are limited to 

 a few hand machines The average annual silk thread 

 exports amount to about 1,100,000 1b. from Syria, and 

 1,540,000 Bb. from Brusa and Adrianople Turkey's 1911 silk 

 crop was excellent, but prices were low, partly owing to the 

 new fashions requiring less material, and partly on account 

 of Japanese conipetition. Bona tide efforts are still being 

 made to open up direct connexions with the United States 

 for the sale of Turki.sh raw silk. Merchants engaged in the 

 silk industry in Turkey have hud to face several poor seasons 

 in succession, and there is a tendency to ab:>ndon silk for 

 t'/bacco in soiiie places. (Journal of the Royal Society of Arts, 

 November 8, 1912.) 



