95 

 THE FIG. 



Of all fruit trees the Fig is perhaps the least particular 

 as to soil. It will give good results in almost any soil 

 capable of cultivation and not hopelessly barren. It has 

 therefore a wide range of usefulness, and one is surprised 

 to find it so sparingly brought forward commercially. 

 Wherever in this Colony the winter minimum temperature 

 never sinks so low as to kill the tree with frost, one may 

 depend upon getting a summer heat quite sufficient to ripen 

 the fruit. But, of course, the places where the fruit can 

 be grown to a market profit will lie far within this winter 

 extreme. Moreover, not every sort of fig which will grow 

 and bear well will fulfil the conditions required for a first- 

 class drying fruit. Many excellent table sorts are of no 

 use for drying purposes, and it is to the production of a 

 first-class dried fig that the grower has to turn his efforts. 



Table figs by reason of their softness and speedy break- 

 ing up can only have a limited market area. Besides, the 

 fig harvest is apt to come on with a rush, to glut the mar- 

 ket, and disappear. Hence low prices induced by ever}' 

 man's anxiety to sell during the few weeks of the season. 

 This peculiarity leads naturally to the device of selecting 

 for the main crop the sorts which are found to dry best, 

 and thus get a permanently valuable return which may 

 without deterioration be held to await a rise of prices. 



Besides choice of sorts in the above point of view, it 

 must be understood that the cultivation must likewise be 

 directed to the same end. A drying fig must be large. 

 The little, hard buttons often shown as Cape figs will not 

 do at all, except as dreadful examples of what to avoid. 

 But, with a good average size, there must be firmness of 

 fiesh and no excess of moisture. Hence the cultivator has 

 to exercise a wary judgment in the use of irrigation water. 

 It must be run in when wanted by the trees not simply 

 when the owner's turn comes round. Excess of watering, 

 even when the drainage is perfect, as it very seldom is, 

 tends to produce fruit which dries slowly, shrinks greatly, 

 and becomes tough, or, if the soil has been richly manured, 

 may even cause the trees to run away to mere wood and 



