BIOLOGICAL STUDIES OF FIGS. 981 



To this day caprifigs are highly valued and bring a 

 high price in Tripoli, Tunis, Algiers and Morocco, and 

 parts of the Iberian Peninsula, especially when the crop 

 is scarce. Leclerc (6i^ tells us that in Algiers the pro- 

 fichi of the caprifig bring two sous per dozen (not quite 

 a half cent) . 



In Greece caprification has been in vogue since very 

 ancient times, as has been mentioned elsewhere. From that 

 country it spread to southern Italy first after the time of 

 Pliny, and has there been practiced ever since, principally 

 in the territory of the old kingdom of Naples or in 

 southern Italy generally. 



To the general rule that caprification is practiced in 

 Greece and Grecian colonies, one exception is mentioned 

 by Solms-Laubach. In Marseille and vicinity capri- 

 fication is unknown. It is also not practiced in central 

 and northern Italy, or in the territories occupied anciently 

 by the old Umbrians, Etrurians and Latins, nor is it prac- 

 ticed anywhere in southern France and the Riviera. 

 Solms declares two causes for this to be possible. Either 

 in ancient times caprification was practiced even there, 

 and later on abandoned, or it was never introduced, fig 

 culture having been only lately brought to these regions, 

 and at a time when caprification was no more necessary, 

 varieties in the meantime having appeared which would 

 ripen their receptacles without it. But as from the de- 

 scriptions of Pliny and Cato it becomes evident that capri- 

 fication was not known in Italy in their time, it is almost 

 certain that in countries where caprification is not now 

 practiced, it has never been introduced. This is the case 

 in all fig districts of America, as neither in the Southern 

 States, in California nor in Brazil, the Argentine or in 

 Peru and Chile, has caprification ever been even advo- 

 cated until within the last ten years, or after the late in- 



