The flg grows rapidly from cuttings, 



and bears fruit at a reasonably early 



.lire. Cuttings planted one year will 



frequently produce fruit the following 



se-ison, though of course there is 



r of damage from too great 



ity. Two crops are always 



an 1 sometimes three, 



season, tliis Deing not the 



of the valuable features of 



this fruit. The earliest figs in Califor- 



L: produced on the borders of the 



;ulo desert, where they ripen 

 early in May, and as a result are sold 

 for very high prices without being 

 dried. 



The largest bearing fig orchard, ex- 

 clusive of the common blue variety, is 

 located in Fresno county. These are 

 of the white Adriatic, and great success 

 has been met in the production of 

 choice fruit, which finds a ready mar- 

 ket both here and at the East at high 



. The iirst carload of dried figs 

 ever shipped from California was sent 

 K-\tl from Fresno durinj the past sea- 

 son, anil dealers there pro loutice them 

 of excellent, quality, and predict a great 

 future for this branch of horticulture. 



evident, from the enormous pro- 

 ductiveness of the fig in California, 

 that the fruit can be cured and mar- 

 ;it a comparatively low price and 

 still return a good profit to the pro- 



r. From what haa already been 

 uoh.'eved in this direction many now 

 regard fig culture as certain to take a 

 front rank here, and look forward to 

 the time when we shall compete suc- 



ily in all tha markets of the 

 with the choicest products of the 

 oldest fig growing countries. 



Besides the white Adriatic and the 



K>n blue Ii ', there are a number 



:I',T varieties in cultivation in 



rnia. Among these is the brown 



y, which is large and very choice, 

 < the earliest ripening fig that 

 iti way to the market. The 

 Brunswick or Smyrna rig is a yellow- 

 ish fruit which has been largely sold as 



uuine Mmynia. 



The brown and the white Iscliia, 

 -Marseillaise and the Mar- 



ie, the San Pedro and the Pacific 

 White, are other varieties which have 

 been cultivated to a greater or less 

 extent, and which possess various 



ies which commend themselves 

 to a wide range of tastes. 



No effort has ever been made to se- 

 cure facts with relation to the area cle- 

 >, i fig culture. Of Uto there has 

 been a great deal of interest taken in 

 the subject, and many new orchards 

 have been planted in all parts ol the 

 State. An estimate that would prove 

 anything like correct cannot be haz- 



i, although there are several thou- 

 sand acres n,)\s in cultivation, and the 

 area 13 being very largely extended. 



i linal encouragement to those 

 who are considering the matter of cm- 

 barkingin lig growing, it may be stated- 

 that this fruit Is practically without 

 insect e:-,eniie3 of any kind. Many 

 trees are still growing thriftily in va- 

 rious localities which have been sub- 

 jected to all sorts of neglect, without 

 harming them in the least. The fig is 

 exceedingly tenacious of life, and will 

 successfully withstand a much greater 



:.it of neglect than, almost any 

 other fruit. 



HOW TO PICKLE OLIVES. 



/ X 





^ 



r./Cock*bu 



la 



W 







ues't the Hon.7)r./ockburn 

 M. P., has kindly supplied the following 

 receipt. Dr. Coekburn has given a good 

 deal of attention to preserving olives,- 

 which lie thinks should form a regular 

 article of diet in a climate such as ours : 

 Pick the olives carefully by hand; 

 those with the slightest bruise should be 

 rejected, as they will not keep. 



Prepare a lye by adding 3 Ibs, of dry 

 sifted wood ashes and 6 ozs.of quicklime 

 to one gallon of rain water. The ashes, 

 lime and water to be boiled together for 

 half an hour in an enamelled pan, and 

 when cool empty the whole over the 

 olives, which have previously been 

 placed in an earthenware or wooden 

 vessel. Cover with a cloth and place in 

 the shade; bright light destroyes the 

 color. 



The berries should remain in the lye 

 till completely free from the acrid taste 

 1 peculiar to the olive. This requires a 

 period of about 40 hours, more or less, 

 according to the degree of maturity of ; 

 the berry. It is in determining this 

 period that the only diffculty in preserv- 

 ing olives presents itself. If not left 

 long enough the acrid taste conceals the 

 nutty flavor, and if too long the olive 

 will not keep. 



In removing from the lye & wooden 

 spoon should be used. After thorough 

 washing place in water and again cover 

 with a cloth. Change the water thrice 

 a day for three days. The berries are 

 now ready for bottling in brine. 



The brine is prepared by pouring a 

 gallon of boiling water over 1) Ib of salt 

 (sufficient strength just to float an egg). 

 This is, when cold, poured over the 

 olives, which have been previously 

 placed in the bottles. 



The bottles should be well corked 

 and secured from air with wax or blad- 

 der. The best way is to depress the 

 cork slightly below the rim of the bottle 

 and fill up the depression with a tea- 

 spoonful of melted beeswax or paraffin. 



