UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

 BULLETIN No. 732 



Contribution from the Bureau of Plant Industry 

 . WM. A. TAYLOR, Chief 



Washington, D. C. 



November 14, 1918 



SMYRNA FIG CULTURE 



By 



G. P. RIXFORD, Physiologist, Crop Physiology and 

 Breeding Investigations 



CONTENTS 



Page 



The Smyrna Fig Industry 1 



Origin of Smyrna Fig Culture .... 2 

 Intioduction of Smyrna Figs into the 



United States 3 



Classification of Cultivated Figs ... 4 



Crops of the Fig Tree 6 



Ability of the Caprifig to Carry the Win- 

 ter Crop 9 



The Fig Flowers 10 



Caprifig Seeds 15 



Application of Caprifigs to Smyrna Trees 18 



Page 



Caprifig Plantations 21 



The Seedling Fig Orchard at Loomis, Cal. 21 



Harvesting and Curing 22 



Packing Figs 24 



Shipping Fresh Figs 25 



Smyrna Fig Culture in the Southern 



States 26 



Starting a Smyrna Fig Orchard .... 23 



Descriptions of Varieties ..'.... 34 



Opportunities in the Industry .... 40 



Bibliography 41 



WASHINGTON 

 GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 



1918 



