CAPRIFICATION OF THE FIG. Ts 
Proper time for caprification.—Caprification should always take 
place when the female flowers of the fig are receptive. This can be 
easily ascertained by cutting open the fig. With a magnifying glass 
the stigmas of the female flowers should be seen to be bright and 
light greenish, with a peculiar fresh luster, as if they had been lightly 
varnished or moistened. Further, the stigmas and styles should be 
erect; if bent and brownish they are too old to receive the pollen and 
past their receptive state. This occurs in Smyrna and in the Medi- 
terranean districts in the middle of June. The second crop, the only 
one used, is then in proper state of development to be caprificated. 
In California the time for caprification will vary with the locality. 
In the Bay district, around San Francisco, the Smyrna figs are recep- 
tive by the end of July; in the interior earlier, in June. The edible figs 
when ready for the caprifigs are about one-third grown, hard, and green. 
The caprifig, again, should be cut when the pollen is properly devel- 
oped and just before it has burst from the anthers. The caprifigs 
are then becoming soft, though on opening them it will be found that 
the Blastophagas have not yet begun to hatch. The size of the fig 
varies with variety—as there are many varieties in caprifigs—but the 
average size would be an inch and a half long by three-quarters of an 
inch wide. Some caprifigs are much smaller. Thus the caprifigs 
received from Smyrna and taken there from the fig trees in which they 
had been suspended, were almost twice as large as those brought from 
Palermo.' The profichi and mamme are larger than the mammoni. 
The various races of caprifig vary in size and softness, some remain- 
ing always hard, while others grow larger and become soft and pulpy. 
As regards the Smyrna figs at the time of caprification, it may be 
stated that at the moment when their female flowers are receptive 
the seales at the eye loosen, or rather- become flexible, allowing the 
wasps toenter. This softness of the scales may be easily ascertained, 
as by pushing a quill or a stick against the fig eye. It easily pene- 
trates between the seales, without injury to them and without causing 
any juice to exude, if the fig is of proper size, while, on the con- 
trary, if the fig is too young the scales will be found to be hard and 
fixed, can not be pushed back, and the least wounding will cause an 
abundance of milky juice to exude. If again the fig is too old, the 
scales will be equally hard and fixed and the fig will be yellow and 
will drop readily. 
If the fig is cut open, the stigmas should be fresh and moist, the 
styles erect and greenish, not brown. 
What takes place in caprification.—We have already followed the 
life history of the Blastophaga in the caprifig. Its history in the edi- 
ble fig is somewhat different. The wasps can not live in the edible 
figs; they can only visit them. Shortly after the profichi have been 
1 By Prof. N. B. Pierce. 
