CLIMATIC CONDITIONS. TSo 
a large percentage of lime and potash. In Sicily, in the Palermo dis- 
trict, where the largest and sweetest figs of Italy are grown, the soil 
is mostly of an alluvial nature, also containing much lime. The soils 
of Algarve, in Portugal, are principally mesa soils of a semialluvial 
nature. it will be remembered that until within a comparatively few 
years the Algarve figs were considered the best in the market, but 
later on Smyrna, through eare in selection and curing, took the lead. 
Some of the best Italian figs—those from the province of Catania, in 
Sicily, and those from Pozzuoli, not far from Naples—are grown on 
voleanice soils, and to the lightness and other good qualities of this 
soil is attributed the good quality of the figs. The figs from Pozzuoli 
are said to bring a better price in the Naples market than any of 
those from southern Italy. 
RECAPITULATION, 
(1) Edible figs, to be eaten fresh, are less exacting as to soil; they 
require somewhat more moisture in the soil. 
(2) Figs for drying require warm, moderately dry, and quite sandy, 
but especially limy, soils. 
(3) Heavy wet soils produce coarse figs, and so do heavy clayey 
soils generally. 
(4) Sandy soils produce sweet figs of light color when dried. 
POSSIBILITIES OF FIG CULTURE IN COLD CLIMATES. 
Although fig culture will always be carried on most successfully and 
profitably in semitropical climates as at present, the fig tree readily 
accommodates itself to less favorable regions and may be grown in 
many other localities. It appears that the real barriers to fig culture 
are short and cold summers. With warm days and long summers, 
such as are found in North America and central parts of Asia, a suc- 
cessful culture of figs might be accomplished even with rigorous win- 
ters. In another part of this volume the writer describes how, by 
covering the fig trees either with mats or with earth, successful crops 
are raised far outside of the favored regions of the fig, and the figs 
thus produced are not poor in quality, but are really good, sweet, 
juicy,and wholesome. Such fig culture is now practiced in the vicinity 
of Paris, in various places in England, and even in the highlands of 
central Asia, where the winters are extremely rigorous. In the khanates 
of Bokhara and Samarkand figs, pomegranates, and grapevines are 
grown with winter protection; also in the vicinity of Pekin straw pro- 
tection is required. Some varieties of figs require much less heat 
and can stand much more cold than others, one of the hardiest varie- 
ties being the semidwarf growing Brown Turkey, with its short and 
crooked branches and its deeply cut leaves. There is no doubt that 
figs producing the first crop for the table could be grown profitably 
over a vast area of central North America and Europe in places where 
this delicious fruit is now entirely unknown in its fresh state. 
