188 RURAL CALIFORNIA 



other semi-tropical fruits may be found in the dis- 

 tricts which grow citrus fruits. 



Old fig trees of the Mission variety attain the di- 

 mensions and aspects of oaks and bear so much fruit 

 that it becomes of some importance in swine feeding. 

 The fig is hardy in all central and southern coast 

 and interior situations (Eegions 2, 3 and 4), except 

 in a few places where the temperature falls ten or 

 twelve degrees below freezing. This naturally sug- 

 gested the fig as a great commercial fruit but produc- 

 tion has been restricted by the fact that fresh figs 

 are just beginning in long shipment and because un- 

 til recently California dried figs have not compared 

 well with the product of Smyrna. This condition has, 

 however, been completely changed by the experience 

 of the last decade. The fig industry comes on a new 

 basis through the successful introduction of the pol- 

 lination insect essential to the success of the Smyrna 

 fig which is now being produced in considerable 

 quantities and the percentage of current increase 

 in fig acreage is greater than that of any other 

 fruit except the grape. 



The olive has been successfully grown in California 

 for more than a century, but its handling since the 

 American occupation has been attended by many 

 vicissitudes. Recently, however, the pure food laws 

 have prevented the use of the word olive in connec- 

 tion with substitute oils for salad purposes. Can- 

 ning and bottling hermetically, with adequate ster- 

 ilization, have made it possible to produce pickled 

 ripe olives of suitable varieties with good keeping 



