102 TILLERS OF THE GROUND CHAP. 



grow in such soil without difficulty. It is, how- 

 ever, too difficult a tree to grow in a haphazard 

 fashion, and, as we have shown, if success is now 

 within sight, it is only because infinite care and 

 trouble have been spent on learning the why and 

 wherefore of the things that the Arabs do by rule 

 of thumb, for the simple reason that their fathers 

 did them before them. 



CHAPTER IX 



THE STORY OF THE SMYRNA FIG 



IF the introduction of the date-palm presents some 

 difficulties, that of the fig presents many more. In 

 the first place there is the puzzling uncertainty as- 

 to whether caprification is really necessary or not ; 

 and then if it is and experience has proved that 

 it is necessary with the Smyrna fig the complica- 

 tions are just beginning. In the case of the date- 

 palm the chief difficulty is to grow the two kinds 

 of palms, and to grow them in the right proportions. 

 In the case of the fig the cultivator must grow (1) 

 the fig proper, (2) the wild fig or capri-plant, (3) 

 he must see that the caprifigs contain the little 

 wasp. As we shall see, all these three presented 



