THE FIG. 245 



packing for the European market, is one of consider 

 able bustle and activity. The principal seat of this 

 commerce is Smyrna. 



The import of figs to Great Britain alone, which is 

 principally from Turkey, amounts to nine hundred tons 

 annually, subject to a duty of I/. Is. per cwt. Dry 

 figs form, also, a very considerable article of com- 

 merce in Provence, Italy, and Spain; beside afford- 

 ing, as in the East, a chief article of sustenance 

 to the native population. In Spain the principal 

 exports of dried figs are from the provinces of Anda- 

 lusia and Valencia; though the fruit grows, more or 

 less, in every province.* In the northern parts of 

 France there are many fig gardens, particularly at 

 Argenteuil. 



It is probable that if the fresh fig were much 

 esteemed by the people of this country, the tree would 

 be more extensively cultivated here in favourable situ- 

 ations, such as our southern coast. But it would 

 seem, from our old writers, and indeed from a com- 

 mon expression even of the present day, that, from 

 some association ot ideas, the fig was an object of 

 contempt. " Figo for thy friendship," says Pistol. "j" 

 Steevens, the commentator on Shakspeare, thinks that 

 11 the fig of Spain," mentioned in many of our old 

 poets, alluded "to the custom of giving poisoned figs 

 to those who were the objects of Spanish or Italian re- 

 venge;" and hence probably, a vulgar prejudice against 

 the fruit. We have, however, old trees still remain- 

 ing in some gardens, which bear good crops. These 

 are generally trained against walls; but fig-trees 

 have also been planted as standards here with success. 

 We shall mention a few instances of each case. 



The fig-tree is said to have been first brought into 

 England, in 1525, by Cardinal Pole; though probably 

 it was introduced before, both by the Romans and the 



*Laborde's View of Spain, vol. iv. t Henry V- 



