52 



especially profitable when grown as a border around vineyards and along road- 

 ways. Under such conditions there is little expense and the fruit often sells 

 on the trees for as much as $2 per tree. 



The business of packing and shipping fresh figs is good, but the profit 

 depends upon the price and the availability of pickers and transportation 

 facilities. There is a limit to the amount of figs which may be disposed of 

 locally in this way, the supply far exceeding the demand. In a few cases very 

 high prices have been secured for extremely early fresh figs shipped from 

 Coachella Valley to the New York market in crates carrying cracked ice. 

 Good prices may be secured in California for these early figs, but the demand 

 is limited. 



Fig trees are singularly free from pests and diseases, the only trouble worth 

 mentioning being a nematode worm, which inhabits the roots when grown on 

 very light sandy soil. 



After being once well established a fig orchard should bear well as long as 

 properly cared for or for one hundred years. 



The artificial process of caprification is necessary only with Smyrna varieties. 



GKAPE GKOWING 

 By F. T. BIOLETTI, Professor of Viticulture and Enology 



Grapes are grown profitably in every county in California, except one or two 

 in the extreme north and two or three in the higher mountain regions. 



Varieties and Localities. Grapes for dry wine are grown most profitably in 

 the coast counties from Mendocino to San Diego, where the acidity of the fruit 

 and the cool weather of the vintage are suitable; sweet wine grapes in the 

 great interior valleys from Shasta to Kern and also in parts of the San Gabriel 

 Valley in Southern California, where rich soil insures large crops and the climate 

 promotes low acidity and high sugar content in the grapes. 



Kaisin grapes are grown principally in the San Joaquin Valley, with Fresno 

 as the center. Here the Muscat and Sultanina develop the necessary sugar 

 early enough to be dried in the sun while the weather is still hot and dry. 

 Minor centers where good raisins are made occur in the central part of the 

 Sacramento Valley and even near the coast in the extreme south, but drying 

 the fruit is often uncertain and dipping or artificial driers 'must sometimes be 

 resorted to. 



The earliest shipping grapes are Sultanina and Malaga from the Coachella 

 and Imperial valleys. The next, principally of the same varieties, come from 

 the foothills of Tulare County and the neighborhood of Winters and Vacaville. 

 Malaga is the principal white shipping grape and is grown most largely in the 

 San Joaquin Valley south of Modesto. The Flame Tokay, which constitutes the 

 main bulk shipped, is grown principally in San Joaquin County, with Lodi as 

 a center and in Sacramento County along the American Eiver. Farther south 

 it fails to develop sufficient color. The next most important shipping grape 

 is the Emperor, grown principally in Tulare and Fresno counties. The latest 

 shipping grapes are grown in Contra Costa and Santa Cruz counties principally. 

 In general, shipping grapes can be grown profitably only in localities where 

 packing and transportation facilities have been established. Kich soil and 

 abundant water are necessary. 



