102 THE FIG: ITS HISTORY, CULTURE, AND CURING. 
Parthenogenesis, or seed development without pollen, has been sup- 
posed to exist in at least one tropical fig (Ficus roxburghii); here, how- 
ever, only by excitement caused by the sting of a Blastophaga, with- 
out pollination. That this is not the process of seed production in the 
Smyrna tribe of our edible fig is absolutely and conclusively proven 
by the experiments of Mr. E. W. Maslin and myself. We produced 
seedlings from Smyrna fig seeds which all, when arriving at bearing 
age, proved to be hybrids between the edible Smyrna and the wild cap- 
rifig. This hybridization could of course not possibly have taken 
place except by the introduction of pollen to the female flowers. If 
their seeds had developed by parthenogenesis the seedlings would not 
have been hybrids, but would have been varieties of the Smyrna fig. 
The seeds were taken from imported Smyrna figs, which had been 
eaprificated in Aidin. 
DIFFERENT TYPES OF EDIBLE FIGS. 
We can distinguish a number of distinct classes or types of figs 
which differ from one another in several very important points. Of 
these types there are at least six which are well characterized. 
Common figs, Mission figs, or first type.—The common edible figs, 
which produce both ripe brebas (first crop) and second-erop figs 
(receptacles) without caprification or pollination. This type becomes 
pomologically mature, but rarely botanically mature. Its flowers are 
mainly mule flowers anda few female flowers, but no perfect gall flowers 
and no male flowers. This class ineludes nearly all of our common edi- 
ble figs in Europe and California and all those propagated in hothouses. 
This class of figs bears several crops, but there is no great or impor- 
tant difference either in the receptacle or in the flowers of the respec- 
tive crops. Some, or possibly all, of the fig varieties belonging to this 
type produce some fertile seeds when pollinated or caprificated. For 
this type [propose the name Mission figs as a suitable name, because 
the principal and best-known representative of this class is known in 
this country as the Mission fig. 
Smyrna figs, or second type.—This type or group comprises the 
Smyrna figs and is characterized by its flowers, which are female only, 
perfectly developed. They produce fruit only when pollinated or 
saprificated. They have no mule flowers, no gall flowers, and no 
male flowers. The fruit becomes botanically ripe, and as a conse- 
quence of the botanical maturity the receptacle becomes also pomo- 
loyi:eally ripe. This is a purely female type, all the flowers being 
perfectly developed female flowers. This type of figs is at present 
confined chiefly to the Smyrna district, being there the only fig eulti- 
raved for commercial purposes. In the other Mediterranean districts 
this type of figs is rare or unknown. Introduced to California, it 
never produced fruit until pollinated. 
San Pedro figs, or third type.—This is the San Pedro type, with 
