s^<:\M<)i{K FK.s AKi; ik>km: on iiik (»m> wood 



Most trees bear fruit on the younger twigs and branches, but a few, among which is the 

 sycamore fig, produce nearly all their fruit on older wt)nfl. In this case, short, specialized 

 branches are put forth directly from the trunk. The fruit of the fig is almost unique in 

 character, consisting of a fleshy receptacle holding a large cluster of small flowers on 

 its inner surface. '1 hese flowers make up the "flesh" of the fruit that is eaten. Each 

 flower contains a single ovule, and the whole reccjjtaclc is open to the air at its apex. 

 Through this o]K'ning the fig-wasj) crawls, and lays an egg in evcr\' flower, thus i)re- 

 venting the development of the seed. The sycamore fig is, therefore, j)ropagated 

 artificially, by cuttings, and in Ivgypt it aj)i)ears that seedlings are c|uite unknown. 

 (Fig. 2.) 



