PROCEEDINGS OF TWENTY-SIXTH FRUTT-GROWERS' CONVENTION. 121 



bear only one crop and plant only those which bear the regular three 

 crops. To answer this question is not as easy as it may appear. It 

 will suffice to state here that experiences have shown that it is desirable 

 to have caprifigs of the three kinds. Figs which bear only one crop a 

 year are, as a rule, much stronger and bear their special crop with 

 more vigor and abundance than such trees as divide their vigor and 

 fertility between the three crops. As we require a large number of 

 profichi figs it seems but natural that we should preferably plant caprifig 

 trees which bear this crop in abundance. If such is our choice, then 

 we may have to look to other trees for mamme and mammoni figs- 

 This is exactly what is done in Smyrna. There the fig-growers plant 

 principally caprifigs which bear a large profichi crop, and depend upon 

 their wild fig trees to furnish mamme and mammoni figs. 



Local Adaptations. — Another point to consider in the choice of 

 caprifigs is that these fig trees are especially adapted to certain locali- 

 ties, in which they thrive, while in others they prove a failure. In 

 California caprifigs have not yet been tried enough to know which 

 varieties are suited to any certain locality, and which are not suited to 

 that same locality. Because a certain caprifig does well, we will say in 

 Sacramento, it is not by any means certain that it will do well in San 

 Jose. The planter who starts his caprifig orchard with the expectation 

 that he requires only a single caprifig variety may be much disappointed 

 when the time comes for caprificating his trees. He may find that the 

 variety he has planted possesses too few profichi, though he knew that 

 this same variety possessed that most desirable quality in some other 

 place. The grower who intends to plant Smyrna figs would, therefore, 

 do well in supplying himself with a variety of caprifig trees of as 

 distinct types as he can find. 



It must also be remembered that some caprifig kinds are more sus- 

 ceptible to frost than other kinds. Heavy frosts will kill the winter 

 mamme figs and destroy the wasps. In order to replenish the young 

 profichi figs with wasps, it will then be necessary to import new mamme 

 figs from some frost-free place and caprificate the profichi figs anew. 

 This leads to the desirability to have caprifigs planted in various places, 

 both in the foothills and on the plains. Places especially suited to 

 caprifigs are those which are sheltered. Mr. A. E. Schwarz was the first 

 to demonstrate that the caprifig requires a sheltered position in order 

 to properly shelter its wasps. In exposed localities the wasps are apt 

 to be blown away before they have a chance to enter any of the young 

 figs. Accordingly, the best places for caprifig trees are sheltered nooks, 

 among hills or in otherwise protected places. Or if such places are not 

 to be had, then it is best to plant the caprifigs close together and shelter 

 them from the prevailing winds by windbreaks of evergreen trees. The 



