49 



fig might perhaps tend to show the contrary, were it not that there 

 was so far a greater proportion of the fallen fruits into which the fly 

 had penetrated. That arose from the great quantity of the caprifig, 

 which had been applied three times, so that few of the fruits, whether 

 deciduous or permanent, could escape the insect. Therefore, from the 

 observations stated under this and the preceding heads, it follows that 

 the insect is not the cause of the permanence and setting of the late 

 figs. If it had been so, it would have been found only, or at least 

 chiefly, in the permanent fruits, whereas the contrary was always ob- 

 served; and I am of the opinion that a fig tree, whether caprified or 

 not, always loses the number of fruits it is destined to lose, from what- 

 ever cause either its own temperament or external causes and that 

 the deciduous ones fall the more readily from the flies having penetrated 

 into the cavity and induced decay and mold; and it may happen even 

 that on this account many a fruit falls which might otherwise have 

 consolidated itself and ripened. As to the permanent fruits which had 

 the fly, I think that from their size, strength, and vigor they had been 

 enabled to resist the effects of it, especially where it remained caught 

 among the scales of the mouth; but as soon as they commence ripening 

 they rot very easily, the flavor becoming affected. 



But as in all our researches and experiments we have been unable to 

 discover any reason in the world why the caprifig fly should render the 

 deciduous fruits of the domestic fig permanent, or hasten their maturity, 

 and as it cannot be denied that some varieties lose every year a great 

 many, others very few, and that some ripen earlier, it would be desir- 

 able to know how this happens; and this question I will now shortly 

 discuss. 



13. For what Reason does the July Fig Commence Ripening Some Days 

 Earlier than the Others f Of this fact I see chiefly three causes: First, 

 the tree shoots out some days sooner than other varieties; secondly, 

 it puts out but few or only very small early figs, which fall off very 

 soon; thirdly, the young branches do not lengthen much and grow 

 pretty equally, throwing out scarcely any coarse, watery shoots. It 

 follows naturally that vegetation commencing early, the flowers are also 

 formed early, and the nutritive juices not being taken for the spring 

 figs, nor drawn away to the extremities of the branches, are directed in 

 greater abundance to the summer figs. What is there then surprising 

 in their ripening a few days earlier than other varieties? The contrary 

 effect is observed in the absence of any one of the above circumstances. 

 The winter fig produces few small and deciduous early flowers (the 

 growth of the branch is rather weak than otherwise), yet vegetation 

 being about a fortnight later than in the Dottato and other figs, that is 

 enough to occasion its fruit to ripen late. The Colombro, worn out by 

 the quanitity of early figs which attain maturity, produces late in the 

 season only a few late ones, and those usually fall off unripe, either all 

 or the greater part of them; indeed, that the vigorous growth of new 

 branches retards the ripening of fruit can be proved by this, that if 

 their ends are pinched off, the ripening will take place much earlier. 



14. For what Reasons do the White and Dottato Figs Carry their Fruits 

 Better than the Others? On this occasion an important question ought, if 

 possible, to be decided, that is, whether these figs are true species distinct 

 from each other and from all others, or whether all the domestic -figs are 

 but varieties of one species. If we could decide for the first alternative, 



4-F 



