18 BULLETIN 132, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



APPLICATION OF CAPRIFIGS TO SMYRNA TREES. 



Various methods are employed in suspending caprifigs in the 

 Smyrna trees. The figs may be strung on strings or raffia by means 

 of a coarse needle into which the string is threaded. These chaplets 

 of four or five figs each are then suspended in the Smyrna branches, 

 preferably in the shady parts of the tree. Another method is to put 

 the caprifigs into cornucopia-shaped baskets made of coarse galvan- 

 ized-wire cloth. These baskets may be used year after year, or may 

 even be left suspended in the trees. 



Some experienced growers find that it pays to suspend small pans 

 filled with moist sand in the trees, into which the caprifigs are pushed, 

 stem down, two-thirds of their length. This prevents the fig from 

 drying out and permits all the Blastophaga to escape. 



WHEN SMYRNA FIGS ARE RECEPTIVE. 



Smyrna figs are in a receptive condition from the time they are the 

 size of filberts to that of small walnuts, say from five-eighths of an 

 inch to about an inch in diameter. At this time the fig is glossy, with 

 prominent ribs. Soon after caprification it becomes smooth and loses 

 its gloss: (See fig. 8.) On cutting open such a fig a few hours after 

 it has been entered by the insect the styles and stigmas of the flowers 

 will be observed to have turned brown from injury caused by the 

 Blastophaga. The best evidence, however, to indicate that the fig 

 has been entered by the insect is the presence at the eye of the wings 

 which have been left behind in effecting the entrance. These will be 

 visible for a day or more if the weather is not windy. 



SEVERAL APPLICATIONS OF CAPRIFIGS ADVANTAGEOUS. 



Dr. Eisen has shown that a number of applications of caprifigs to 

 each tree greatly increases the crop, for the reason that when the 

 caprifigs are first hung in a Smyrna tree only a part of the figs are in a 

 receptive condition. In warm weather these caprifigs are exhausted 

 of most of the insects in four or five days. Meantime, other Smyrna 

 figs have pushed and have reached a receptive condition, and another 

 supply of caprifigs at this time will be required for their pollination. 

 Three or four such applications four or five days apart will be found 

 to increase greatly the setting of fruit. As the Smyrna crop depends 

 absolutely upon the supply of insects it is found that a liberal applica- 

 tion of caprifigs is desirable. For trees 4 to 6 years of age, 10 or 12 

 figs for each will be found sufficient, while for trees from 8 to 12 years 

 old the number should be doubled. One experienced grower in the 

 San Joaquin Valley, whose trees are about 12 years of age, informs 

 the writer that he greatly increases his crop b}^ applying as many as 

 50 to 150 caprifigs to each tree. 



