THE KADOTA FIG 



older varieties, because of its early bearing, tremendous tonnage, certainty of 

 crops, and unprecedented demand for its products and unparalleled cash re- 

 turns enjoyed by the planters who grow this variety, occasioned by the many 

 uses to which this fruit is now put. 



All this and more has been achieved by this fig in the three short years 

 since we had the honor and the pleasure of introducing it to the fig growers 

 of California, assembled in Fresno, January, 1917, on the occasion of the 

 first Fig Growers' Institute held at that time. Relatively but little was 

 known before that date regarding this fig, its uses and virtues, and the 

 publicity given it on that occasion was all that was needed to cause it to leap 

 into the limelight and occupy the unique position it now holds. 



Distribution 



After Mr. Taft had given his new fig a rigid tryout in its many uses, he 

 began the propagating and distribution of this variety, and in 1913 I secured 

 from him the rootings which constitute my original orchard, now six years of 

 age. He was at that time a man somewhere in the nineties. His age and 

 limited acreage made it slow and difficult for him to distribute very widely 

 his discovery. 



I had had considerable correspondence with him and was deeply im- 

 pressed by his enthusiasm, foresight, and absolute honesty, and fully appre- 

 ciated the loss to the industry occasioned by his decease, which left no one 

 in particular to champion the cause of his fig. So in a timid and halting man- 

 ner I attempted to carry on the work he was forced to drop. I soon discov- 

 ered that others were impressed very favorably with this fig and my first nur- 

 sery proved all too small to meet the growing demand, and from my first ven- 

 ture to the present time we have never been able to supply even 50 per cent, of 

 the rootings desired by intending planters, and while each year I increase my 

 nursery to the greatest possible extent I still fall far short of demands. The 

 saddest feature of this shortage of genuine stock lies in the opportunity it gives 

 to the distribution of spurious stock, secured from orchards of the old "White 

 Endich," "California White" and "White Pacific," all collectively sold as 

 Kadota or Little Kadotas. These older varieties have long been known in 

 California and classed as unprofitable figs. But in general appearance they 

 so closely resemble the genuine Kadota that unwittingly planters are accepting 

 this stuff, and only when too late will they discover their error, and two re- 

 sults are absolutely certain. 



First, they will grow a smaller tree and a smaller, poorer fruit; and, 

 secondly, the name and reputation of Kadota is sure to suffer as these planters 

 in perfect faith and honesty will condemn this fig, naturally thinking they are 

 growing the genuine, which in their orchards is falling far short of the many 

 virtues claimed for the genuine, and really enjoyed by those fortunate enough 

 to have secured true stock. So with all the emphasis at my command I warn 

 all planters to be absolutely sure they secure rootings of direct lineage to that 

 one only tree, from which Stephen H. Taft named and secured his original 

 cuttings. There was no such a fig as the Kadota previous to that time, how- 

 ever much nurserymen claim to the contrary. 



In my immediate vicinity there is an orchard of sixteen acres, one-half of 

 which is Endich, the other half Kadota, and any one may stand half a mile 



