TWENTY-NINTH FRUIT-GROWERS' CONVENTION. 



205 



FUTURE OF THE FIG INDUSTRY. 



By GEORGE C. ROEDING, of Fresno. 



Fig-growing in California took its inception on a plane which 

 might truthfully be called unique for an industry that gives promise of 

 developing into one of such magnitude. Long before California had 

 the remotest prospect of becoming a factor in the horticultural world, 

 figs were planted by the padres in their missions, but only one here and 

 there, more for the purpose of supplying the table with fresh fruit and 

 for the ample shade given by the trees, than with any other object in 

 view. 



The first apparent interest in fig culture as a commercial proposition 

 was awakened when the San Francisco Bulletin Company made its 

 first importation of fig cuttings from Smyrna in 1880, followed by 

 another shipment a few years later. As is well known, these trees were 

 widely distributed throughout the State; but as all the fruit which 

 formed, dropped off when quite small, never reaching maturity, fruit- 

 growers came to the conclusion that it was a useless waste of time to 

 cultivate a fruit not adapted to California conditions, and the trees 

 were either dug up or were neglected and allowed to grow at their 

 own sweet will. 



In 1884 renewed interest was taken in fig-growing. A fig said to have 

 been imported by the late W. B. West, of Stockton, one of the leading 

 nurserymen in the earlier days of California, was beginning to attract 

 attention. It was claimed for this fig that it possessed all the virtues 

 of the Smyrna fig, and trees were very extensively planted throughout 

 the State, but more largely in the Fresno district of the San Joaquin 

 Valley, where they were used as border trees, and for aligning the 

 avenues of the Muscat vineyards; very few being planted in orchard 

 form. When the demand for the trees was at its height, it was found 

 that they were not of recent introduction, for trees twenty-five years 

 old were discovered growing at Knight's Ferry, Stanislaus County. The 

 fruit when dried was apparently superior to the ordinary varieties of 

 figs; its virtues were highly extolled by the nurserymen, and in conse- 

 quence of their recommendation, which was sincere, for they had the 

 fruit to exhibit (and it was apparently of good quality), the trees were 

 planted not only in California, but also in Arizona and Florida. It was 

 conceded later on by fig-growers that this fig was not equal in flavor and 

 fine texture of skin to the imported Smyrna fig. Still it was thought 

 that these shortcomings were largely due to a lack of experience in 

 handling rather than to any other cause. After these trees came into 

 bearing, no matter what processing the fruit received, no improvement 

 in quality was shown. The interest which had been so keen to begin 



