CHAPTER III. 
FIG CULTURE IN CALIFORNIA. 
HISTORICAL NOTES. 
The first fig trees in California were brought by the mission fathers 
of the Franciscan order. Where the first trees were planted and 
whence they came no one ean now tell, but it is known that they 
must have come with the first missionaries in the eighteenth century, 
who planted them with the olive and the vine. Unlike the latter 
two, there was only one kind of fig, now known as the ‘‘ Mission fig,” 
indicating that it was raised from cuttings and not from seed. As 
the same Mission fig is the only fig variety extensively distributed in 
Mexico, it is safe to presume that the fig came from there, and not 
from Spain or Portugal or Chile, as is generally supposed. From 
Mexico the Mission fig spread to several of the Southern States, 
although it appears to have thriven less there than in California. 
The Mission fig must have been brought to Mexico centuries before, 
probably with the early missionaries from Spain after the conquest 
of the Mexican country. For a century the Mission fig was the only 
fig in California, the only fig cultivated, or rather planted, around 
the ‘‘missions,” the only one found on the Mexican ranches, and was 
sparsely distributed over the country. With the arrival of Ameri- 
cans some of the immigrants from foreign countries brought fig 
cuttings from their cherished trees to plant in their new homes, and 
this will account for some odd varieties yet growing in out-of-the-way 
2a 
corners, and for others of which we yet bear some early settlers - 
tell—trees which were long ago cut down or otherwise destroyed. 
With the advent of the 50’s some systematic efforts were made to 
import other kinds of figs. The first importations came, of course, 
from American Eastern nurserymen, and the first figs consisted of 
varieties cultivated under glass in these Eastern States, which 
accounts for the little subsequent value of those varieties for out- 
door culture. Among such varieties were Brunswick, Ischia, 
Brown Turkey, and a few others. Next came importations from 
English nurserymen; later from French nurserymen; but only within 
the last decade have efforts been made toimport directly from foreign 
countries. 
To give a list of all such importations would be of considerable 
interest to the student of California figs and their history, but it has 
been impossible to collect all the information required, and reference 
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