22 BULLETIN 732, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



From this time a careful study of the trees and product was made, 

 with the result that a number of new varieties of decided promise were 

 found. Two of a new Smyrna class were discovered in 1908 by A. H. 

 Brydges. These attracted attention from the fact that the fruit 

 withstood uninjured two soaking rains which spoiled that on adjoin- 

 ing trees. The preservation of the fruit under these trying circum- 

 stances was due to the fact that the eye of the majority of the fruits 

 is stopped by a drop of hardened, pellucid juice which effectually 

 excludes rain, filth, beetles, and flies which might carry into the fig 

 the germs of fermentation. This prevents souring, and it also pre- 

 vents the entrance of insects which deposit eggs resulting in wormy 

 figs. (See "Descriptions of varieties," pp. 36-37, Rixford variety.) 



The Maslin fig orchard has played an important part in the develop- 

 ment of the fig industry in California. At the fruit-growers' con- 

 vention, at Stockton, in December; 1910, reports were current that a 

 number of fig growers in the San Joaquin Valley were digging up 

 their bearing Smyrna trees, owing to the difficulty of obtaining 

 caprifigs containing Blastophaga to pollinate their fruit. Walter T. 

 Swingle and the writer proceeded to Ceres, where most of the 

 destruction of trees had occurred, and called a meeting of growers 

 who could be quickly reached by telephone. There were 12 or 

 13 growers present, who were admonished not to destroy any more 

 trees, as the United States Department of Agriculture had taken 

 a lease on the Maslin orchard, containing 72 capri trees, and would 

 furnish the entire crop to the growers at the bare cost of gathering 

 and shipping the fruit, namely, 50 cents per box containing 160 to 

 175 figs. The growers next season availed themselves of the oppor- 

 tunity to the extent of over 600 boxes, 96,000 figs, with the result 

 that no more fig trees were destroyed. In addition to devoting the 

 entire crop of caprifigs of the orchard to the growers, cuttings from 

 the best trees were offered gratis to anyone who desired to avail 

 himself of the privilege. Besides several fine Smyrna varieties, the 

 orchard contains several of the finest capri varieties in cultivation. Of 

 the capri varieties, several bear the largest caprifigs ever seen in this 

 country, with correspondingly large numbers of Blastophaga from 

 the ample gall zones and having large staminate clusters with 

 abundance of pollen. They possess, besides, a vigor and hardi- 

 ness that has never failed to carry the mamme crop safely through 

 the hardest frosts of California winters. Detailed descriptions of 

 these will be found in another part of this bulletin. 



HARVESTING AND CURING. 



The fig ripens and dries on the tree and when it falls all of the small 

 and medium-sized fruits are sufficiently cured to keep, while those 

 of large size require further exposure to the sun for a day or two, 



