PROCEEDINGS OF THIRTY-THIRD FRUIT-GROWERS ' CONVENTION. 49 



time in the 80 's, I went to Mr. Shinn's orchard near Niles. He then 

 talked to me about caprification. I thought it was ridiculous, but 

 T commenced to read on the subject. I did not believe it. I went out 

 again and found what he supposed, and what I supposed, to be the 

 wild fig. He cut it open and we found it to be full of pollen. Mr. 

 Shinn.had, before that time, imported the Blastophaga from Smyrna 

 and had distributed it in the trees. We took that and introduced it 

 into the Rixford fig. That fall fifty figs matured. Practice was above 

 theory, and I was then persuaded that the Blastophaga was necessary. 



On one occasion Mr. Rowley came before the State Board of Trade 

 and exhibited a fig which he said Mr. Roeding had raised by the means, 

 I suppose, of fertilization. We were asked then to introduce the question 

 to Secretary Wilson, which I did ; and after many letters, as Mr. Roeding 

 said, he plowed and harrowed the said gentleman to do something. 

 Finally Mr. Howard came out and saw me and said he was going to 

 send the Blastophaga to Mr. Roeding. He received it, and that is the 

 history of the introduction of the fig business. I have not from that 

 day to this ceased to have the fullest confidence in the profit of the fig 

 crop in California. (Applause.) 



On motion of Mr. Crandall, duly seconded and carried, a vote of 

 thanks was tendered Mr. Roeding for his generous contribution of figs. 



In the absence of Mr. W. Herbert Samson, Secretary Isaac read his 

 paper entitled "The Commercial Smyrna Fig," as follows: 



THE COMMERCIAL SMYRNA FIG. 



By W. HERBERT SAMSON, of Corning. 



The probable home of the edible fig is the fertile part of southern 

 Arabia, where at present the capri fig is wild, and where there are no 

 traditions of its introduction. From Arabia it was carried to Syria 

 and the Mediterranean shores, and in the eighth century before Christ 

 it was found all over Greece and formed an important article of food 

 of both the rich and the poor. The Athenians, on account of their fond- 

 ness for the fig, were nicknamed "sykophants" (fig-eaters), a name 

 afterwards given to those spies who informed the authorities about 

 the unlawful exportation of figs from Attica. In this province the best 

 figs of ancient times were grown, and so necessary were they considered 

 for home use, that their exportation was prohibited. This prohibition 

 led to smuggling, and guardians and watches were appointed by the 

 government to report those who violated the law. These guardians 

 were called sycophants (from sykon, a fig, and phainein, to show), 

 and the word became synonymous with the idea of a secret spy. From 

 this usage of the word comes our word "sycophant." 

 4— FGC 



