352 JOURNAL OF ECONOMIC ENTOMOLOGY [Vol. 5 



tree. The writer secured three mature Adriatic figs which showed by 

 their larger size had been entered by the wasps. These three figs 

 contained by actual count 4800 heavy, fertile seeds, or an average of 

 1600 for each fig — certainly a good crop for a "mule fig" which accord- 

 ing to some writers will not breed. 



In this way fertile seeds can be secured from all kinds of our culti- 

 vated figs and the breeder has complete control of such crosses and can 

 with considerable confidence expect to perpetuate desirable hereditary 

 characteristics in his seedling trees. It is found, however, from experi- 

 ence that about one-half of such seedlings are staminate trees. The 

 process is exceedingly simple. A twig is selected with a number of 

 figs from three-eighths to three-quarters of an inch in diameter, which 

 is the receptive size in most varieties. Drop a caprifig with Blasto- 

 phaga ready to issue into a paper bag and tie it tightly over the twig 

 and the insect will do the rest. At the end of two or three weeks re- 

 move the paper bag and replace with one of mosquito netting for pro- 

 tection against birds and to prevent the ripe dried fig from falling to 

 the ground. 



Caprifig Seeds. The mammoni crop of the capri tree is the only one 

 which has been observed to produce seeds and then only in small 

 numbers. The obvious reason is that it is pollinated by the Blasto- 

 phaga of the preceding profichi crop. The profichi itself yields no 

 seed, because the mamme figs preceding it have no pollen, although 

 the pistils are provided with receptive stigmas. 



Solms-Laubach found 20 seeds in 40 mammoni figs and reached the 

 conclusion that not more than one flower in 2000 was a perfect female 

 flower, all the others being gall flowers, incapable of fertilization. 

 The writer has found as many as 75 fertile seeds in one fig and from a 

 large number of mammoni seeds secured last summer, young plants 

 are now being grown at Chico. From careful observations the writer 

 has been forced to the conclusion that all gall flowers are perfect female 

 flowers and susceptible of pollination and that most of them are polli- 

 nated, but if the Blastophaga deposits an egg in the ovary, the result- 

 ing larva, would, prevent the formation of the ovule and if formed would 

 be eaten or otherwise destroyed. The seeds therefore found in the 

 mammoni figs are from those flowers in which the insect failed to ovi- 

 posit. 



There seems to be some connection, not yet well understood, between 

 the seed and the secretion of sugar and coloring matter. The pedicels 

 and floral envelopes of the seeds in mammoni fig are succulent, sweet 

 and generally of a pink color, while all parts of the gall flowers contain- 

 ing Blastophaga are white and quite dry, the difference in appearance 



