28 



Enough, however, has been done to show that California may hope ere 

 long to include her fig products with those of her citrus fruits, prunes, 

 and raisins, among the leading industries of the State. A prominent 

 commission merchant of ?an Francisco, who handles a large amount of 

 our domestic dried fruits, in speaking of the California fi^s, says: 



" I think the outlook for the fig industry in California is very bright. 

 The producers and packers have made great progress in the last few 

 years in the cultivation and curing of this grand fruit, but for some 

 reason they have either failed to discover the right variety of fig for the 

 soil and climate of this State, or they have not yet attained the proper 

 perfection in the process of drying. I am unable to say definitely where 

 the fault lies, but am inclined to think that it is in the variety. There 

 is no reason why California should not raise as good figs as any country 

 in the world. In my opinion she has no superior in the production of 

 olives and nuts, and I am confident that when we overcome the slight 

 difficulties that now confront us, the fig industry will grow 7 to great 

 proportions. 



u There is room for wide development right here in the local market, 

 to say nothing about the territory beyond the Rockies. This is shown 

 by the fact that there are imported into this market not less than one 

 hundred tons of dried figs every year. What the producers must do is 

 to supply a product that will take the place of the imported article. 

 I am entirely confident that they will be able to do so, for I have seen 

 California figs, particularly at the Marysville Citrus Fair, that were as 

 fine in texture, color, and saccharine quality as any that can be grown 

 on the globe. For all these reasons I regard the outlook for the fig 

 industry as highly encouraging." 



With regard to the quality of California figs, Consul Emmett wrote 

 from Smyrna: 



"A box of figs grown and packed in California reached here this 

 autumn, and was inspected and universally praised by many dealers. 

 In some instances it was impossible to persuade the parties that said 

 figs were grown outside the Aidin district; in fact, some went so far as 

 to designate the orchard. Those who grasped the full importance of 

 this American enterprise predicted that Turkey's supremacy in the fig 

 trade was waning. Some console themselves with the opinion that the 

 American fig will not continue to be good; as the trees (grown from 

 Smyrna cuttings) grow older the fruit will have thick skins and become 

 tough; in fact, become native American figs.' 7 



The fig was introduced into California, with its companions, the olive 

 and the vine, by the Mission Fathers. From whence the original stock 

 came it is now difficult to determine, as a distinct variety of each has 

 been developed in California, to which the name of Mission has been 

 applied. The Mission fig is one of the best for all purposes grown in 

 the State. In color it is black or dark purple, and this militates against 

 it in the market as a dried fig. This is mere sentiment and simply 

 because the most generally and best known to commerce the Smyrna 

 is white or light colored. The Mission, rightly dried, is superior to all 

 except the genuine Smyrna, and is, by many, thought to equal that. 

 The tree is among the hardiest, strongest growers, healthy > and the most 

 productive of all the fig varieties, and adapted to a wide range of soils. 

 It can be grown nearly everywhere on this coast where the winters are 

 not too severe. In the rich, warm interior valleys the tree grows very 



