BIOLOGICAL STUDIES OF FIGS. 979 



Which Figs should be Cafrijicated. — The shortest an- 

 swer to this question is : all figs which drop off if not cap- 

 rificated. It has not yet been fully ascertained which 

 these figs are. It is only certain that the great majority 

 of figs will mature their receptacles without caprification. 

 In California we have, however, since some ten years 

 had growing several varieties imported from Smyrna and 

 of these none perfected fruit until they were artificially 

 pollinated. This class then requires pollination and cap- 

 rification, and must be caprificated if fruit is to be ex- 

 pected. We have also had other figs in this State which 

 have never matured fruit, though twenty years old. 

 One of these varieties is growing on the place of R. B. 

 Blowers of Woodland, The trees must be some twenty 

 or more in number and at this date must be about twenty- 

 five years old. Only one tree of this kind once produced 

 a ripe fig. It is evident that this variety requires caprifi- 

 cation, both in order to set fruit and to mature its seed. 

 If the variety came from Smyrna is not known, but it un- 

 doubtedly belongs to that class of figs. 



Another class of figs require caprification for their sec- 

 ond crop. Among such varieties San Pedro is the most 

 prominent one (86). But there are other varieties like 

 the San Pedro, such as the Portuguese of Italy, the Gen- 

 tile, etc., all of which set their first crop but drop their 

 second crop. Microscopic examination shows that the 

 second crop of these figs possess fully developed female 

 flowers, while the first crop which matures have only 

 flowers with abortive ovaries. In another place in this 

 paper I have related my experiments in caprificating the 

 second crop of San Pedro and Gentile, and the success 

 achieved, undoubtedly proving that caprification is neces- 

 sary for a certain crop while it is not necessary for an- 

 other crop. 



