FIG TREE ] 141 



11. The ROUND RED FIG (M.=//W ixheb tal meida.) 

 The tree us large and vigorous, with leaves slightly 

 lobed. The fruit has a round shape and is very short- 

 stalked. The colour is ruddy shading to claret. The 

 flesh is light rpd, rich and melting. It is a good table 

 fig, but ripens too simultaneously, and is rather poor 

 for drying. There is a form with very large fruits of 

 fine appearance, with flesh of a lively red colour, but 

 is of inferior quality. Both sorts require caprification. 



12. The ST. JOHN'S FIG (M=ttn tal baitar, tin to, 

 San Giuan.) The tree is vigorous and grows to a large 

 size ; the leaves are broad and well -lobed. This variety 

 produces regularly two crops. The early crop, (M =baitar 

 ta San Giuan ; I tali an =fiorom 'J usually very abundant, 

 comes out along with the foliage and matures in May- 

 July. These early figs are very large, short-stalked, 

 top-shaped, greenish brown without any netting. The 

 flesh is of a light pink colour, watery, melting and sugary 

 and of good flavour. The main crop is equally abundant, 

 but the fruits are very flattened and very short-stalked, 

 and are valuable only for drying. The early figs are not 

 caprificated, but the main crop cannot do without this 

 operation. The St. John's fig is very largely planted, 

 being perhaps our most common type of fig-tree, the 

 early figs being much appreciated by all classes of the 

 people. A sub- variety exists producing figs, of both 

 crops, of a greenish white colour, but in other respects 

 is identical with the type. 



13. The LONG WHITE FIG OF CALABRIA (M =bzengul 

 abjad, tin tal kanmeka, tin Calabris; Italian =fico dottato 

 bianco}. The tree is very vigorous and a fast grower. 

 The leaves are large, imperfectly lobed and often entire. 

 Two crops are produced; the early figs usually a few in 

 number, come out with the leaves, and are very long, 

 with a long slender stalk, and are whitish green with a 

 few longitudinal fissures or netting. The flesh is very 

 thick, luscious and of exquisite flavour ; it is violet-red 



