120 PROCEEDINGS OF TWENTY-SIXTH FRUIT-GROWERS' CONVENTION. 



the profichi or spring crop. The other two crops are missing. This 

 profichi crop sets late in the fall of the year, and becomes receptive to 

 the wasps next spring, some time in March or April, and matures 

 during June or July. Now it is known that the Blastophaga wasps 

 require young caprifigs as soon as they hatch out, in order to have a 

 place wherein to lay their eggs. If, as in the caprifig just referred to, 

 there is no such young figs present, it is evident that the wasps must 

 soon perish before they find any flowers suitable for their eggs. It will 

 thus be seen that there must be diflerent kinds of caprifigs, and that 

 some figs are more suitable for harboring the wasps than others. As a 

 general rule, it may be said that the caprifig tree possesses three more 

 or less distinct crops a year, and that each crop overlaps the other, 

 eitlier on the same tree or on different trees. Each crop of caprifigs 

 hatches a distinct crop of fig wasps, and there is thus a constant suc- 

 cession of figs and wasps, either on the same tree or on different trees. 



The Different Crops of Caprifigs. — The figs which are used for the 

 caprification are, as every one knows, the profichi crop. It will be seen 

 that the crops of the caprifig are not all of the same importance to the 

 grower. Of the profichi figs we require many thousands, or many 

 hundreds of thousands, as the case may be; while of the other crops we 

 have need of only a few figs. The different uses to which the different 

 crops of the caprifig tree are put, may be stated in a few words. All the 

 three crops of the caprifig are used for caprificating the caprifig itself, 

 while only the profichi are used in caprificating the Smyrna figs. As 

 long as we possess a caprifig tree which bears three distinct crops each 

 year without fail, we need have no anxiety about caprifying the caprifig 

 tree itself. But if our caprifig tree is such that it bears only one or 

 two of the necessary three crops, then it becomes necessary to interfere 

 and procure the missing caprifig crop from some other place. The 

 three crops of the caprifig tree are designated by different names. The 

 fig crop which appears as small buttons in the summer and attains its 

 full size during the winter is known as the mamme figs. These figs harbor 

 the wasps during the winter — in other words the wasps hibernate in 

 the mamme. The figs which set in the fall as small buttons and which 

 mature in the spring are known as the profichi figs. The figs which set 

 in the spring and which mature during the same summer are known 

 as the mammoni figs. All the Italian investigators have mentioned 

 that there are three distinct kinds of caprifig trees. Some bear only 

 one crop of figs a year. These are called by them "uniferi." Others 

 bear two crops a year, called "biferi"; while those which bear all the 

 three crops are known as 'Hriferi." Now we know that the Bulletin fig 

 mentioned above bears only one crop, and thus belongs to the type 

 known as uniferi. 



The question arises why should we not discard all varieties which 



