PIGS IN SICILY. 763 



OUmate. — The minimum temperature is 5 centigrades in January ; the 

 maximum 35 in August, and 17 average in May. 



The sweetest drying iigs are grown in mild climate land, while those 

 in warm regions are fit for eating when fresh. Eain-fall in this prov- 

 ince is known to be at an average of 25 to 30 inches per year. Rain 

 favors these fruits greatly when they are small, before maturity ; but 

 when full ripe it hurts them badly, making them lose their natural, 

 sweet flavor. 



Irrigation. — Irrigation is never resorted to, the rain-fall being suf- 

 ficient. 



Gultivation. — Cultivation is very simple, and it does not require much 

 labor to be done. A good digging in summer and winter time is more 

 than sufficient. The planting is seldom done by rows and the trees 

 are generally spread out through vineyards and olive groves, where 

 they grow and bear well. 



Fertilizers. — This plant, as a rule, is never manured in Sicily; bnt in 

 arid lands it is always better to remove from time to time the ground? 

 in order to give its base some fresh air. 



Pruning. — Pruning is done by cutting off all the dead branches, and 

 the best time to do so is in the months of March and June, or when the 

 pitch is dry. In hot climates, however, pruning is not necessary, for 

 the reason that the plant is one of those which, left to itself, yields 

 always many fruits. 



Picking. — Picking is done when the fruit is fully ripe, and generally 

 not before the sun is up, so that the fruit is dried from the night dew. 

 The process of drying is very simple, and is as follows : 



Curing. — When the figs are thus gathered they are cut in two, and so 

 set on planks and exposed to the hot sun's rays for drying. Every 

 once in awhile they are turned to be dried on both sides. In the even- 

 ing, however, they are taken into houses, or are well covered, to pro- 

 tect them from the night dew, dampness, or rain. After four or five days, 

 ■when they are sticky dry, they are pressed by hand, facing one another 

 together on the pulp sides, and then they are strung together with a 

 big needle and twine and formed in reste (traces) of about 2 feet long. 

 Others, dried in the same way, are passed through small sticks and 

 formed in chiappe (square tables) of about IJ feet each way. After this 

 has been done the figs so dried and prepared are dipped for a few min- 

 utes in hot water, to prevent them from fermentation, and exposed to 

 sun again for drying. 



The small figs, however, are picked, dried, and cured in the same 

 way, but not cut open, and pressed and packed with some laurel leaves 

 in boxes, containing 25 pounds, and in round or square baskets for 

 shipping, many of which are exported to the United States. 



Planting and propagating. — The distance planted apart is from 20 to 

 30 feet. They are not planted in rows, but are generally scattered in 

 vineyards and olive groves, where they grow and produce well. Prop- 



