970 CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES, 



to the edible figs, in order that the wasps, as soon as they 

 leave the caprifigs, may be lured into the edible figs. 

 Practically this is accomplished in different ways, more 

 or less proper and economical. In Smyrna, Syria, 

 Greece, Italy and Africa the caprifigs are pulled at the 

 proper time in June, the profichi being the only crop used 

 for this purpose. The caprifigs are then almost full grown 

 and the male flowers ready to shed their pollen. The 

 caprifigs are at once strung on split reeds or rough straws 

 in quantities of three to five on each straw. These 

 straws are thrown over and suspended among the branches 

 of the edible fig tree. Another method, much inferior to 

 the former, consists simply to cut branches from the 

 caprifig trees and suspend them in the edible fig trees. 

 This injures the caprifig trees and does not enable the 

 cultivator to regulate the number of caprifigs according 

 to the quantity actually needed. This method is only in 

 use in certain parts of Portugal and Spain. A third way 

 to accomplish caprification is to plant a few caprifig 

 trees in among the edible fig trees, and to simply depend 

 upon the wasps themselves finding their way in sufficient 

 number to the edible figs. This method is the least 

 proper of any for many reasons, one of which is that 

 the caprifig thrives equally well or even better in poor 

 rocky soil, and it would be more economical to give 

 the good soil over to the edible fig trees. Another reason 

 is, that the Blastophaga would preferably go to the young 

 caprifig instead of to the young edible fig, if the former 

 were to be found close by, as they of course would, if 

 the caprifig tree was planted in among the edible fig trees. 

 If, again, the caprifig trees were such that they bore no 

 young caprifigs at the time the wasps hatch out, then, of 

 course, their propagation in this tree would be impossible, 

 and it would be necessary next year to bring new Blasto- 



