FRUITS FROM THE TROPICS 307 



You plant seeds of the white fig and you are 

 almost as likely to get black or brown figs as 

 white ones. 



This is probably because the Capri fig has 

 never been cultivated for color ; in fact very little 

 attention has ever been given to it, even for the 

 development of vigor and productivity. 



About the only attention paid it by the fruit 

 grower has had reference to the early or late time 

 of blooming. This is important merely because 

 it is necessary that staminate and pistillate plants 

 should bloom at the same time, else the fig wasp 

 obviously cannot perform its pollenizing service 



A pound of European figs, grown from 

 flowers fertilized by the Capri insect (otherwise 

 the seeds would be infertile) will produce per- 

 haps ten thousand seedlings. But it requires pa- 

 tience to wait fifteen or twenty years to test the 

 fruit, and it cannot be fairly tested in less time. 



It is difficult to hasten the process by grafting 

 because the fig cion does not take kindly to being 

 so transplanted. 



Doubtless a satisfactory method of grafting 

 might be developed, however, were sufficient at- 

 tention given to the subject. Perhaps nothing 

 more would be necessary than to protect the cion 

 carefully against drying, by covering it with a 

 paper bag until union has taken place, as is 



