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CAPRIFICATION OF THE FIG. ET 
the former, consists simply in cutting branches from the caprifig trees 
and suspending them in the edible-fig trees. This injures the caprifig 
trees and does not enable the cultivator to regulate the number of 
caprifigs according to the quantity actually needed. This method is 
in use only in certain parts of Portugal and Spain. <A third way to 
accomplish caprification is to plant a few caprifig trees among the 
edible-fig trees, and to simply depend upon the wasps themselves 
finding their way in sufficient number to the edible figs. This 
method is the least proper of any for many reasons, one of which 
is that the caprifig thrives equally well or even better in poor, rocky, 
soil, and it would be more economical to give the good soil over to 
the edible-fig trees. This leacs us to the necessity of having separate 
plantations for the caprifig. 
Separate plantations of caprifigs.—In most countries where caprifi- 
cation is practiced it is a general saying that it is necessary to go to 
the hills for the eaprifigs.’ It is not only more economical, as has just 
been pointed out, to grow the caprifigs separately, but it is in many 
instances necessary. The soil and moisture in the orchard are not 
always suitable to the caprifig. It must be remembered that the 
caprifig is yet in its comparatively wild state, while the edible fig 
is a horticultural product or creation which can only be expected 
to attain its proper qualities under the most favorable conditions. 
Practically this is true. It frequently happens that when the edible 
figs are receptive, or their female flowers ready for pollination through 
caprification, the caprifigs growing in the vicinity of the edible figs 
are not properly developed, while other caprifigs grown in different 
soil and at a different elevation are just of the proper size and con- 
dition to furnish both Blastophagas and pollen. But an even more 
serious objection to having a few eaprifigs growing in rich soil is 
that their crops are not always following each other in continuous 
suecession. The Blastophaga, in order to properly propagate her 
brood, requires young caprifigs ready to receive her eggs as soon as 
she hatches out. Frequently the tree from which she hatches does 
not possess these figs, while other caprifig trees do. It is therefore 
necessary, in order to procure a constant supply of Blastophagas, to 
have a large number of different varieties of caprifig trees growing 
together. In a grove of such trees there will always be some that 
bear figs of proper size in which the wasps may breed. Such plan- 
tations of caprifigs should be made separately and in various loeali- 
ties, in order that the supply of figs may never fail. Quite frequently 
it also happens that the caprifig crop in a certain locality fails, while 
in a different one, where the climatic conditions have been dissim- 
ilar, the crop of caprifigs may be abundant. This shows the neces- 
'Prof. Newton B. Pierce. of the Department of Agriculture,in Washington, who 
has observed caprification in Sicily, informs me that in the vicinity of Palermo 
the caprifigs are always brought from the ‘‘hills.”’ 
