.182 



THIRTY-FOURTH FRUIT-GROWERS ' CONVENTION. 



the summer of 1891 by ]\Ir. James Shinn of Xiles. who received frojji 

 a missionary resident in Smyrna capri figs from which the insects issued 

 after arrival. They failed to get established, though they were liberated 

 in a large "Bulletin" capri fig growing on Mr. Shinn 's place at Xjles. 



The fourth introduction was made in 1892 by Mr. F. Roeding of 

 Fresno, who received from Mr. Thomas Hall of Smyrna in June and 

 July several shipments of capri figs from which Blastophayas issued but 

 failed to get established. 



The fifth introduction was made in the early spring of 1895 l)y 

 Mr. Geo. C. Roeding. who received from Mr. Anthony C. Denotovitch. 

 then traveling in Asia Minor, a package of capri figs in good condition, 

 from which, however, the insects never issued. 



The sixth introduction was made in ]\Iarch and April. 1898, by me. 

 I was studying caprification at Naples at the time, and sent a number 

 of packages of capri figs to the Department of Agriculture at AVash- 

 ington, D. C, from where they were forwarded to Mr. Geo. C. Roeding 

 at Fresno. The earliast shipment reached Fresno on April 15th. but 

 though the Blastophagas came out, they failed again to establish them- 

 selves. 



The seventh and last, the finally successful introduction, was made 

 by me in March, 1899, when I sent from Algiers a number of packages 

 of capri figs, the first of which reached Mr. Geo. C. Roeding on April 6. 

 1899. These insects entered the young capri fig buds on a number of 

 trees, bred there and established themselves permanently in California. 



HISTORY OF THE FINAL AND SUCCESSFUL INTRODUCTION OF BLASTOPHAGA 



INTO CALIFORNL\.* 



As there have been some misunderstandings as to how my introduc- 

 tions came to be made. I thought the fruit growers of this State would 

 perhaps be interested to know just how they happened. 



I spent the spring of 1896 in Naples, and while there had the pleasure 

 of making the acquaintance of Prof. Paul Mayer, one of the foremost 

 European students of caprification. I was busy with other work at 

 that time, however, and did not attempt any detailed work on the fig. 



However, in March of 1898, I was again in Naples, where I enjoyed 

 the facilities of the International Zoological Station through the 

 courtesy of the director. Prof. Anton Dohrn. In the mean time I had 

 read Dr. Eisen's memoir on caprification, and. happening to see the 

 operation being carried out on a capri fig tree a day or two after my 

 arrival, I decided to study anew the whole subject of caprification in 

 a region where it was a standard horticultural practice. At that 'time 

 I had never been in California, and all I knew about California condi- 

 tions I learned from Eisen's paper. I was abroad on leave of absence, 

 paying my own expenses, and undertook the work wholly on my 

 own initiative and at my own expense. During the course of my 

 w^ork I never received any suggestions from California oi; from any- 

 w^here in America, for the simple season that I did not myself know 

 when I sailed, early in March, just what I would do at Naples, and 



*In this sketch I have not considered the introduction of the fig insect, which 

 occurs in the wild figs of Mexico, as these insects can not live in the capri fig. 



