FERTILIZATION 



L >ntin* the crop, maturing in the early part of the cold weather. These statements 



Z^CZIX tikcn very generally, as great differences m regard to the numbers of 



l.tacloi developed at different periods appear to occur from year to year, and occasional 

 buds may become developed at almost any time. 



1 uch more definite data are available in regard to the duration of any crop which 

 come* to maturity. The entire period from the first appearance of the buds of a crop of 

 Mll-nceptaclei to the escape of the fig-insects ranges between four and five months, 

 Ini iagsomc hat according to the character of the season ; two months intervening between 

 their first appearance and the attainment of the stage of development rendering them 

 gu; ibk for the access of the insects, and two to three months from that time until full 

 maturation take* place. Maturation proper is, however, dependent on the access of insects, 

 ai : should this fail to take place, the receptacles dry and fall about a month after they were 



I v to be entered* 



It il ty diiUcult to <l<termine the question of the number of annual crops of receptacles 

 which mature on the female trees, as only a small number ever do mature even after they 

 have been el lively vi ited by the fig-insects, due to the fact that in a large majority 



of cases they are attackc I by the larva of some species of Lepidopterous insect, which, after 

 Hiding the earlier portion of its existence in devouring the flowers, ultimately escapes 

 by i*rforuting the ostiole, and thereby causes escape of the receptacular fluid and 



[uont drying up and fall of the figs. In the case of the female tree in the Botanic 



1 ardent fan which alone normal ripe receptacles have been as yet obtained, there is 



onlv one site where they as a rule occur. This is at the very base of one of the stems 



where the fertile twigs are actually on the ground and the receptacles are crowded 

 to; )ther among the grass and weeds, which must apparently serve to protect them from 



i visits of the winged parents of the grubs. Here two, if not more, crops certainly 

 mature in the course of the year — one in the end of February and March, the other in 

 the latter half <-t May and beginning of June. The duration of any crop which successfully 

 matures ftppc:ui to he almost the .same as in the case of the male receptacles, a period 

 of from one to two months intervening between eruption of the buds and attainment of 

 the Mage for the a« ess of insects, and two to three months between that and the occurrence 

 of full maturatioi For example, on the 10th of March 1888, the fertile twio-s on the 

 t in the Botanic Garden were beginning to be covered with buds, some of them 



ing already attained the size of hazel-nuts ; on the 26th March some receptacles were 



read] for in ects; on the 6th April some had already been entered; and on the 29th 

 tfaj ripe receptacles were present. The previous crop has a somewhat longer duration 



io doubt due to the lower temperature to which it is exposed, and receptacles which 

 are entered by mm cte in the end of November do not ripen until the end of February. 



The eruption of , w crops of receptacles sometimes occurs along with that of 

 new lea. s, but the, , is no necessary association of the two events. There are two periods 

 of deUum, ? -the first and most complete fall taking place in the latter part of the cold 

 weather ml ebruary, and a second one, which varies in degree with the nature of the season, 

 occumnK dunm he second half of the hot weather; the fall increasing in amount with the 

 heat a. I dryness of the season. During the past season an eruption of a new crop of 

 ZTb^ { ^™«»^y^ the spring change of leaf on the female'tree 



wo of I ^JA f t le n ° ne ° CCUrred at the same ^ on any of the male ones, in 



^^^r ?? r r° US "^ ° f reCeptadeS dated from the »*Hle of the old 



»wiaer, when uo change of leaf occurs. 



