170 THE FIG: ITS HISTORY, CULTURE, AND CURING. 
When the Smyrna varieties come into bearing they are caprificated 
for the first time in June or July by the profichi or first crop of the 
caprifigs. The insectiferous figs are suspended among the branches 
of the Smyrna figs at an interval of ten days or two weeks. After 
this has been done no more caprification of the edible figs is neces- 
sary that year. A month or more later the figs begin to ripen, and 
then drop to the ground. ‘The Smyrna figs are never picked from the 
trees, because when they are fully ripe they fall of their own accord. 
If they do not fall they are not fully ripe. The figs are picked up 
every day and placed on trays to dry in the sun. They are turned 
once or twice and then taken to the warehouse and sheds, where they 
are dipped and packed. 
As regards fertilizing the soil, this practice is not yet in vogue in 
California fig orchards. Manuring the soil will of course be benefi- 
cial in the highest degree in places where the soil is poor. Powdered 
sheep manure, ground bone, stable manure, and artificial fertilizers 
will all be used in time. But before everything else lime is most to 
be recommended, as experience has shown that the best figs are grown 
on lime soil. 
PERIOD OF VEGETATION. 
The edible fig (Ficus carica) is a deciduous tree, which drops its leaves 
even in tropical countries where no frost exists. It never becomes 
an evergreen tree. In temperate climates, where moisture in the soil 
is overabundant, a very rank growth will be caused, especially with 
young trees under 4 or 5 years old. This growth, which continues 
until cool weather, is liable to get frosted, to the great detriment 
of the tree. But even if not checked by frost, this growth would 
soon stop by itself and the tree would become semidormant or almost 
dormant. There are, however, many wild-fig species which are 
evergreen, especially in the tropics. Others are semievergreen—that 
is, they preserve a few evergreen leaves at the top after the majority 
of the leaves have fallen. Other tropical species are doubly decidu- 
ous—that is, they drop their leaves twice a year, at the end of the 
rainy and at the end of the dry season, only to clothe themselves with 
new foliage after a rest of two to three weeks. The caprifig tree is a 
deciduous tree. 
The fig tree begins to bear well at about the fourth year, but 
increases its yield rapidly until 12 to 14 years old. After that time 
the increase is slower, and after thirty or forty years no great 
increase can be expected. However, different varieties act differ- 
ently, and there are off years when smaller crops are had. The 
variation in this respect relates rather to the first crop, or ‘‘ brebas,” 
than to the second crop, or autumn figs. Undoubtedly the climatic 
conditions are more changeable in the spring, and thus the change is 
greater in the early crops than in the later ones. The critical period 
of the first crop is the time of setting, while of the later crop it is the 
time of maturity. 
