CAPRIFICATION OF THE FIG. 77 
under a temporary shed or tent. The strings are hung on horizon- 
tally supported rods of cane, and these rods are carried into the field 
by the eaprificator. In this way the figs do not become entangled. 
In selecting a place on which to hang the strings one that is shaded is 
preferable. <A string is taken from the rod or cane and suspended on 
a branch of the Smyrna tree and given a twist so that it will not fall 
off. The process of caprifying the trees should be repeated several 
times, or as long as it is desirable to procure ripe Smyrna figs. During 
the first caprification one-half of the caprifigs necessary may be sus- 
pended. Ten days later the other half may be similarly suspended. 
Should more young Smyrna figs appear after a week or two it may be 
advisable to suspend a few more caprifigs in order that they too may 
be caprificated. 
SHORT SUMMARY OF CAPRIFICATION, 
Caprification is a horticultural process which consists in suspend- 
ing the profichi or first-crop figs of the caprifig on the branches of the 
edible fig. The object of caprification is to produce seed in the edible 
figs and to cause these latter to set and mature. Only such profichi 
as contain fig wasps (Bblastophaga grossorum) are of any value in 
caprification. Shortly after the profichi have. been suspended the 
female Blastophagas hatch out of their galls, and in their efforts to leave 
the fig become covered with the ripe pollen of the caprifig. Once 
outside of the caprifig the Blastophagas search for other caprifigs in 
order to lay their eggs in them. But not finding any caprifigs, they 
enter the edible figs by mistake. The effect of this visit is the polli- 
nation of the edible-fig fowers with the caprifig pollen brought along 
by the wasps. The pollination again causes the edible figs of a cer- 
tain class to mature seed and toset its fruit. In order that pollination 
may be properly accomplished, it is necessary that the figs practiced 
on should have female flowers in a proper state of development with 
receptive stigmas, and that the pollen of the caprifigs should be 
properly developed and in a good condition. Not all edible figs are 
equally susceptible of caprification. The time for caprification is in 
June and July, according to locality. Caprification is nothing else 
than an artificial pollination accomplished partly by man, who sus- 
pends the caprifigs, and partly by the wasps, which carry the pollen 
from the caprifig to the female flowers of the edible fig. 
The same process of pollination accomplished by the wasps on. 
the edible figs is also necessary in the caprifigs in order that they 
may produce ripe and fertile seeds. No caprifigs will produce seed 
if the wasps are not present carrying the pollen from one crop to the 
other. Also in the case of the caprifigs man’s aid is at times required. 
The Blastophaga wasps breed and hatch in the wild caprifigs, hence no 
human aid is required to bring these figs from one tree to the other, but 
all cultivated caprifigs are caprified in order to insure a crop of wasps. 
