60 THE FIG: ITS HISTORY, CULTURE, AND CURING. 
When starting in the spring a temperature of 50° should first be 
given, later increased to 60°. Give as much sun as possible and 
keep the air moist. It is a mistake to keep the air very dry. Fresh 
air should be given when the temperature outside reaches 75°, and 
the inner temperature should then be brought up to 95° or 100°. 
A single standard is best. When, the new shoots reach 6 inches 
they should be pinched back and checked. By a successive pinching 
of respective shoots a successive crop of figs may be had. 
Weak growth should be cut off and thinned out close to the stem 
to prevent shading. During fruiting the air should be kept much 
drier and the temperature should be even. Any check in the 
growth of the trees during fruiting time may cause the figs to fall 
before maturity. The most favored varieties and those most readily 
grown in pots are Brown Turkey, Negro Largo, Violette Sepor, and — 
St. Johns. 
Imports of figs to the United Kingdom. 
Pounds. | Pounds. 
GIS GEA a ees en) Aap ee ent oe 16s SUG! S008! ASS? aeeeL Bees eee eee 7, 357, 800 
N Char fax ergpereel een ee le, ee eS 9.691; 000 C MSS3d.cc et eae f: acen = ee 12, 348, 400 
SHS eo a2, Sok wee ed eee an GP S453008 | diS84e le ee ae 138, 189, 600 
ICAU pres ay Ppepee GRE Mie er ne Tie a NOADSSFOOMASSOns yee ae se Se Be ee eee 11, 316, 200 
WSSO FS eres aoe ike ee S2001 HS008| L886 hs 2 se ee a nee 11, 425, 300 
SO lee tee See erere ery: 13, 822, 500 
The import of dried figs to Great Britain now averages yearly about 
200,000 hundredweight. The greatest quantity, or about 15,000,000 
pounds, comes from Italy; Spain furnishes about 5,000 pounds; Portu- 
gal, Greece, and Turkey, small quantities. 
FIG CULTURE IN SPAIN. 
The production of figs in Spain is enormous and large quantities 
are exported to France, Austria, etc., principally for distilling. In 
1882, 1,100 packages or mats of dried figs were exported from Malaga 
to the United States. In 1800 this district produced 16,000 quintals, 
which in 1825 had risen to 20,000 quintals. 
Cuttings are planted slanting, and grafting is done in April, while 
the eye is yet dormant, but after the sap has started flowing. 
The following are some of the most favored varieties in the vicinity 
of Valencia: 
(1) Gombaya.—Rose to bright rose; stem of tree blackish; requires moist soils. 
(2) Burjasot.—One of the best figs in Spain, as well as in the Mediterranean 
generally. Fruit black, round, and flat atapex. Tree with weeping branches. 
(3) Verdal and Gironnetta.—Small, green figs, round, very sweet. Skin thick 
and hard, of bright green color; pulp red. 
(4) Palopal and Napolitan.—Fruit very large and fine. 
