FRUIT CULTURE IN AMERICA 323 



THE FIG 



Figs have been grown in the warmer portions of America in a small way 

 for centuries, but not until the introduction of the fig wasp {Blastophago psenes) 

 from Turkey have they been grown in large commercial orchards. Many 

 varieties have been introduced, and some of them bear abundantly ; but only in 

 California have they been dried with profit. The famous " Smyrna " brand of 

 dried figs has been recently duplicated in that state by the importation of cut- 

 tings from Turkey, where the choice figs are grown that are packed at Smyrna 

 and excel all others in the markets of the world. The wild or Capri fig trees, 

 with the little insect that carries the pollen to the flowers inside the edible 

 variety, have also been safely established in California. There are now a few 

 orchards of this variety in bearing and others just started, and many tons of 

 dried figs have already been sent to market that are equal to the best grade of 

 Smyrnas. 



THE OLIVE 



Olive culture was attempted in the Carolinas and along the Gulf of Mexico 

 at an early date, but with almost no success, owing to unfavourable climatic 

 conditions. In California, the mission fathers found that the olive did well ; 

 but not until within about the last twenty-five years has its culture been 

 pushed. Now we have in that State most of the varieties from Europe, and 

 there are large orchards, oil presses, and pickle factories established there. The 

 quality of both the oil and pickled olives is equal to the best imported from the 

 markets of Europe. 



THE DATE 



In some of the hottest and dryest parts of Arizona and California there are 

 ideal climatic conditions and suitable soils for the date palm. A few trees grown 

 from seed at some of the Catholic mission stations more than a century ago 

 are still standing ; but few of them have borne, owing to the fact that they were 

 male trees or those of the opposite sex that were alone or too far from those 

 bearing pollen. However, enough fruii was produced to encourage the im- 

 portation of rooted suckers of the best varieties from Arabia, Algeria, and 

 Persia. The first of these choice trees were brought over in 1889 by our 

 National Department of Agriculture, and have been bearing for several years. 

 Many more have since been imported by the Government and are growing at 

 trial stations, and agricultural explorers are still at work collecting them in 

 foreign countries and sending them here. As there are millions of acres of good 

 land in Arizona and California, where the summers are long and hot and the 

 winters mild, and there is abundant water for irrigation, we have every reason 

 to believe that America can and will produce an abundance of dates of the best 

 quality. Already some have been cured, and clusters of fresh dates of several 

 varieties have been sent east to show what can be grown. 



