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HElRYiX WIJLLIiAMS. 



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.--s£^ 



YOL. 28. 



JAI^^UARY, 1873. 



1^0. 319. 



^ 



The Southern White Fig, Croton Grape, etc. 



ON Tpa^e 339 of the November number of the Horticulturist is a notice of the 

 fine figs of the shore of the Gulf of Mexico. It is a little over a year since, in 

 lecturing on fruits to the .senior and junior classes of Massachusetts Agricultural Col- 

 lege, at Amherst, Mass., I said that I had seen on the Gulf shore thousands of acres 

 of unoccupied sandy loam land where this fig grows in great luxuriance, and produced 

 two and sometimes three crops of fine fruit each year ; and that among the unoccu- 

 pied industries of the South, I thought this one of preparing this fig, as in Smyrna, 

 for Eui'opean and Northern United States market, was one of the most promising. I 

 am glad that this opinion finds another advocate. I have seen lands that would not 

 grow cotton or corn, planted with large magnolias and figs, trees often larger than the 

 apple tree of the North. 



What is needed is that suitable examination be had by some competent person 

 familiar with the method of preparing the Mediterranean figs for boxing and market, 

 and experiment be begun, and the art be learned how to manufacture the now 

 abundant figs into the sweet and dried article of commerce. Certainly lands that 

 grow trees that twice a year cover the ground beneath them with delicious figs, when 

 grown without care, ought with culture and care to produce them by acres, and a 

 process of drying be had that will put tons on tons on the market. If anything is 

 known in the Mediterranean, it were easy to know it here. As grape leaves, and 

 especially seedling variety leaves, this were an easy matter to explain. The culture 

 better begin with the best figs of the whole world. 



TJie Croton. Grape. 



When in Washington a few weeks ago, I saw a few late-hanging and long over-ripe 

 Croton bunches. As grown there the bunch is quite large, the berries fair in size, 

 and the grape worthy of praise every way. Those grown on the grounds of the 

 Agricultural Department, too. were still in a few instances on the vines, and the 

 employees spoke well of the grape. Thus I am disposed to commend it. 



