114 TILLERS OF THE GEOUND CHAP. 



Smyrna figs, in spite of many losses due to in- 

 experience and various minor difficulties. Here, 

 then, was the third step, the introduction of the 

 fig-wasp, successfully accomplished. 



After ripening, the figs were dried in the 

 approved Smyrna fashion, packed in boxes, and 

 proved, according to those who tasted them (but 

 perhaps they were partial !), to be better than the 

 best Smyrna figs. What is certain is that the 

 experiment succeeded, so that after nineteen years 

 of effort the Smyrna fig was grown finally in 

 California. 



A little difficulty was experienced in making 

 sure that the wasps would find suitable caprifigs in 

 which to lay their eggs after they had emerged from 

 the edible figs, but this was got over, and all that 

 remained to be done was comparatively simple 

 work the great steps had been taken. 



Three years later, the orchard where these first 

 experiments were carried out produced sixty-five tons 

 of good fruit, and the work is going on steadily now. 

 It is true that the industry of growing and drying 

 the figs is still in its infancy, for the California 

 orchards cannot yet supply anything like the 

 demand that there is in the States for dried figs, 

 but there is every reason to believe that it will go 

 on and prosper. Further, while in Turkey the 

 methods of drying and preparing the figs are not 



