756 FBU1T CULTURE IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES. 



ITALY. 



REPORT BY CONSUL-GENERAL RICHMOND, OF ROME. 

 (Republished from Consular Reports, No. 41^.) 



In Italy many varieties of the Ficus carica are cultivated. The widest 

 spread of these varieties may be divided into two groups, as follows : 

 The^co gentile and the fico portogliese, which are the earliest; the ver- 

 dini and brogiotti neri, the brogiotti bianchi, the brianzosi, the datteri or 

 dottati (which are thick skinned). All these varieties bear fruit only 

 once a year. The fico albo and the fico San Pietro bear fruit twice a 

 year. A fig tree of medium size will yield generally from 44 to 60 kilo- 

 grams of fruit. Usually the fig is planted in company with other fruit 

 trees (olive, almond, and others); but fig orchards, where figs alone 

 are grown, may be found (at Lecce, for instance), and in such cases the 

 trees must be planted at such a distance apart that when they reach their 

 fullest development they may not come in contact one with the other; 

 (1) because the fig needs a great deal of sun; and (2) because, otherwise, 

 if the partial and easily located infection called rizoctonia should show 

 itself it would spread rapidly through all the orchard. In many places 

 it is the custom to alternate the fig, almond, and olive, so that each fig 

 tree may be isolated. 



In Tuscany the figs called dottati are preferred for drying. They are 

 peeled and dried in the sun, and then, with a slight sprinkling of anise- 

 seed, are rolled into disks or small loaves. In other cases the rind is 

 not removed, but the fig is split in two, flavored with anise or fennel seed, 

 dried in the sun, and so sent to market. 



The common purple or black figs are dried in the oven or in the sun, 

 just as they come from the tree. At Lecce, Keggio, Calabria, Cosenza, 

 and Cotanzaro this system is adopted. They also make a fig paste with 

 walnuts, almonds, cinnamon, etc. It is customary to drop a little honey 

 on them while drying. 



There are coming into use stoves with hot-air chambers, especially 

 adapted for drying figs as well as other fruits. 



LEWIS KICHMOND, 



Consul- Gen$raL 

 UNITED STATES CONSULATE-GENERAL, 



Rome, April 1, 1884. 



CATANIA. 



REPORT BY CONSUL WOODCOCK, OF CATANIA. 

 (Republished from Consular Reports, No. 41). , 



Of the fig tree there are several varieties ; some yield a large fruit, 

 others small. The fruit also varies in its degree of sweetness ; also in 

 color from white to black. The fruit of some varaities ripen sooner 



