956 
used in allaying thirst. The figs of com- 
merce are grown on a small tree or shrub, 
rarely more than 20 feet in height. 
The fig seems to be indigenous to Syria 
and Asia Minor, but for a long period of 
time has been grown in the countries 
around the Mediterranean sea and judg- 
ing from passages in the writings of 
Herodotus, and from the Hebrew scrip- 
tures, it was an article of food and com- 
merce, centuries before the Christian era. 
In the warm countries, the tree gen- 
erally bears two crops in one year, the 
first in the early summer from the buds 
of the previous year, the other in the 
autumn from the buds of the spring 
growth. 
Fertilization 
The question of the fertilization of figs 
was early little understood. It was be- 
lieved that the flowers were unisexual 
and therefore from very ancient times it 
was the habit of certain growers to place 
branches of the wild fig in flower over the 
cultivated varieties, in order that the 
pollen from the wild flower might ferti- 
lize the female flowers of the other From 
the Louisiana Experiment Station, we 
quote the following on the subject of fer- 
tilization ° 
Southern figs produce pistillate or 
female flowers and mule or sterile flow- 
ers. While they do not produce stami- 
nate or male flowers, nevertheless, they 
possess the ability to develop an edible 
product, with no true seed. It is impos- 
sible for any of our figs to produce true 
viable seed, hence unless figs of another 
class capable of producing seed are grown 
in Louisiana, one may never expect a 
variety of figs of Louisiana origin. The 
different blooming habits of our figs easi- 
ly separate them into three distinct divi- 
sions. 
Class 1—Mission Figs, capable of pro- 
ducing both an early and a late crop. 
Class 2—Adriatic Figs, capable of pro- 
ducing a late crop, but dropping all of its 
first crop. 
Class 8—San Pedro Figs, capable of 
producing an early crop, but dropping all 
of its late crop. 
The sterile or mule flowers are the 
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF PRACTICAL HORTICULTURE 
ones that develop into our edible fig. The 
pistillate or female flowers invariably 
drop off. 
In the Mission class of figs the steric 
or mule blooms predominate in both its 
early and late crops, hence, climatic con- 
ditions being favorable, two crops of figs 
may be obtained. 
In the Admatic Figs the pistillate or 
female blooms predominate in the early 
crop, and the sterile or mule blooms pre- 
dominate in the late crop, hence the early 
crop drops, and the late crop matures. 
In the San Pedro Figs, the sterile or 
mule blooms predominate in the early 
crop, and the pistillate or fenvale blooms 
predominate in the late crop, hence the 
early crop matures and the late crop 
drops. 
Occasionally sterile or mule blooms on 
both the early crop of the Adriatic type 
of figs and the late crop of the San 
Pedro type of figs may develop into edible 
fruit. 
GRANVILLE LOWTIICR 
Propagation 
The fig is easily propagated by cuttings, 
layering, ring-budding, and _ grafting. 
Propagation by cuttings is the easiest and 
most satisfactory way. The work can be 
done at almost any time of the year; but 
by far the best results are obtained if 
done during the winter while the plant is 
dormant. 
The cuttings should be taken from 
strong, healthy plants of the desired 
variety and preferably from plants grow- 
ing in the immediate locality. Select 
the one-year-old branches that are plump 
and stocky, which are usually found on 
the outside, where they were well ex- 
posed to the light. Do not take the long, 
slender shoots or suckers found on the 
base of the plant. 
A good cutting should be at least one 
foot long, or preferably longer. The cut 
ends should not expose any pith, but the 
hard wood of the partition found at the 
node. The cuttings should not be allowed 
to dry out, or become shriveled; as soon 
as made they should be tied into bundles 
of convenient size and buried in moist 
sand. The following spring they should 
