Rubber. 

 Bird-lime. 



Fibre. 



Food. 



Fodder. 

 Timber. 



Lac. 





FICUS 



Hill KDIBLE FIG CARICA 



Fig 



Tree, bor, bar, bargat, but, bai, ranket, kangji, barelli, w6ra, kurku, 

 baagat, phagwari, wur, wad, ala, mart, ahlada, gilike mara, peralu, pyi- 

 )ti/(ing, maha-nuga, vata, etc. A large tree which throws down numerous 

 aerial roots from tin- lirancluss. It is found in the Sub-Himalayan forests 

 from Peshawar to Assam; in the deciduous forests of Bih.ir, (!hota 

 Nagpur, Orissa, Circars, Central Provinces, Bombay Presidency and South 

 India ; less commonly in evergreen forests and in the low country of 

 (Vvloii. It is wild, but doubtfully indigenous, and is also largely planted 

 throughout India for its shade. Indian Gardening gives an account of 

 the famous specimen in the Botanic Gardens, Calcutta; described also 

 liy Sir (Joorge King (1895) in the Guide to these Gardens. 



It yields an inferior RUBBER. According to Hooper (Kept. Labor, Ind. Mun. 

 (Induct. SIM-.), 1905-6, 25), the latex contains only 12'4 per cent, of caoutchouc 

 and S2-2 per cent, resin. Is employed in Lahore in the oxidation of copper. As 

 Mi:i>iriNE the juice is applied externally for pains and bruises, and used as 

 an anodyne in rheumatism. An infusion of the bark is regarded as a powerful 

 tonic in the treatment of diabetes. The leaves are heated and used as a poultice. 

 Tin- fruits ripen from March to June, according to locality, and are eaten in 

 tiiiuvs of famine; it would moreover appear, in addition, that in many parte 

 of the country the young tender shoots and leaves, as also the bark, are eaten. 

 [Agri. Ledg., 1904, No. 4.] The twigs and leaves are grazed, as FODDER by 

 rattle and elephants. The WOOD is of little value, but is durable under water 

 and, therefore, utilised for well-curbs. If carefully cut and seasoned it can be 

 made into furniture, and is sometimes employed for boxes and door-panels. The 

 wood of the aerial roots is used for tent-poles, cart-yokes and banghy-poles. 

 The banyan is one of the numerous hosts of the LAC insect. By the Hindus it 

 is regarded as sacred, and plays a great part in connection with their religious 

 ceremonies. [<7/. Pliny (Holland, transl.), i., 360 ; Linschoten, Voy. E. Ind. (ed. 

 Hakl. Soc.), ii., 53-8 ; Pyrard, Voy. E. Ind., etc., 1601 (ed. Hakl. Soc.), ii., 370, 

 etc. ; Tavernier, Travels Ind. (ed. Ball), ii., 198 ; Fryer, New Ace. E. Ind. and Pera., 

 1672-81, 105 ; Buchanan-Hamilton, Stat. Ace. Dinaj., 163-4 ; Hobson-Jobson 

 (ed. Crooke), 65-7 ; Pharmacog. Ind., 1893, iii., 338 ; Yearbook of Pharmacy, 1899, 

 466-7 ; Agri. Ledg., 1901, No. 9, 212, 235, 263 ; 1902, No. 1, 53 ; Joret, Lea PI. 

 dans L'Antiq., etc., 1904, ii., 291-2 ; Workman, Through Tovm and Jungle, 1904, 

 39-40 ; Dunstan, Imp. Inst. Tech. Repts. (on latices of F. comosa and F. indica), 

 July 13, 1905 ; Cunningham, Plagues and Pleasures of Life in Beng., 1907, 

 55-86, 339, 358-60.] 



F. Carica, Linn.; Rec. Bot. Surv. Ind., i., 136 ; Woodrow, Gard. in Ind., Edible Fig. 

 1899, 451-3 ; Firminger, Man. Gard. Ind. (ed. Cameron), 1904, 211-3. 

 This species is the Edible Fig of Europe, the Smyrna Fig, also anjir, Jcimri, 

 fagu, fagdri, shimai-atti, tiethie, ten. Several varieties are cultivated in 

 many parts of India, especially in Baluchistan, Afghanistan and Kashmir. 



A rich and mouldy soil is required with a considerable quantity of lime com- Cultivation, 

 bined with thorough drainage. The trees are propagated by cuttings, of oiie-year- 

 old wood, planted in shady beds in February. There should be about 10 to 12 

 feet between each root. As a fertiliser about 50 Ib. of well-decayed village sweep- 

 ings may be applied to each tree after the crop is gathered. The plant begins 

 to bear FRUIT in the second or third year after transplantation and continues for 

 twelve to fifteen years. It fruits twice a year. The first season commences in 

 June-July, but it is not allowed to ripen lest it should injure the second crop, 

 which commences in January and is by far the most valuable. Figs for drying 

 should be cut from the tree and carefully placed in trays and boxes. To improve 

 the colour and soften the skin, the figs, before drying, are sometimes exposed 

 to the fumes of burning sulphur or are dipped in a hot solution of salt, saltpetre 

 or lye.; but the former practice gives the fruit a very unpleasant taste and is 

 injurious to the health of the consumer. The drying ground should be a clean 

 space outside the orchard where the figs may be exposed to the full rays of the 

 sun. The figs should be turned twice a day at first, and once a day in the later 

 stages. Drying within six or seven days yields the best quality. So far as India 



537 



Edible lYuit. 



