SMYRNA FIG CULTURE. 23 



either on the ground or on wooden platforms. In some respects the 

 normal climate of the great interior valley of California is superior 

 to that of Asia Minor, where summer dews are prevalent and fall 

 rains sometimes injure the crop. 



It is a good practice to gather the figs very often, say two or three 

 times a week. One successful grower who puts up an exceedingly 

 fine product gathers the figs every day. One reason for this is that 

 the eye of a caprified fig is usually quite open and the longer it remains 

 on the ground the more likely it is to be visited by beetles that leave 

 eggs inside the fig, causing a wormy product. 



Sulphuring is not necessary to improve the appearance of Smyrna 

 figs, as it is for the Adriatics and some other varieties. Some 



P30025A-CP. 



Fig. 9.— Drying grounds at Fresno, Cal. In the foreground figs are being dried on platforms, while to 

 the left are stacks of trays already dried. 



growers think that spreading the figs out on trays and stacking 

 them so as to keep them out of the direct rays of the sun to finish up 

 the drying makes them lighter colored. 



The first operation after the figs are gathered from the ground is 

 to rinse them in clear water and spread them out on wooden plat- 

 forms, such as are used for drying raisins, until the surplus moisture 

 has evaporated (fig. 9) . They are then dumped into boxes. In the 

 raisin region sweat boxes are used for the purpose. They should be 

 pressed down into a solid mass and should remain in that condition 

 until ready to be packed or sold to the packer. The product is thereby 

 greatly improved, as the overdried fig absorbs moisture from the 

 underdried, thus equalizing the whole mass. This process also 

 causes the skin of the fig to absorb moisture and sugar from the 

 interior pulp and this renders it pliable and tender. 



