108 



THIRD DAY'S PROCEEDINGS. 



Chico, Thursday, November 22, 1888. 



DRYING AND CANNING FRUIT— FIG CULTURE IN CALIFORNIA. 



Remarks by H. E. Parker, Esq., of Penryn. 



I shall not attempt, in addressing this convention as to the fig, to do any- 

 thing more than to refer to the matter of the varieties, for within the last 

 year there have been two very exhaustive essays in regard to the fig pre- 

 sented to the Fruit Growers' Convention — one by Dr. Eisen, of Fresno, the 

 other by Mr. Williamson, of Sacramento — both of which are published in 

 the biennial reports of the State Board of Horticulture, and I could do 

 nothing more than recapitulate what they have said. There are, however, 

 two or three points that I will mention before I introduce the subject of a 

 particular variety. 



We know, in bringing the fig before the public, that it is neither a new 

 fruit nor a new industry. For we know the raising of the fig is from antiq- 

 uity, but the growing of the proper variety for market in this State, as an 

 industry, is as yet in its infancy. We find that a great part of the old 

 world has produced these figs for ages; we find that the culture has been 

 very extensive in some districts; we find this fruit in Egypt, in Greece, 

 especially in the Grecian Archipelago, in Asia Minor, and on the Asiatic 

 Coast. And we find that it has been introduced from the old country to 

 our own country here, and grown in the Southern States quite extensively, 

 not for market as a commercial product, but as a table fruit. We find this 

 fruit grows in Central America and New Mexico, and we come to the last 

 place, which I deem the true home of the fig — California. I think we can 

 prove to the world that we can raise a superior quality, if not excelling the 

 famed fig of commerce. We can get some idea of the magnitude of the fig 

 industry in the old world. We find, in 1884, that twenty-one million pounds 

 were exported from Smyrna alone, and from other European countries prob- 

 ably as much more. 



We find, from the San Francisco " Bulletin," something about the im- 

 portations of figs to this country. At New York there were received eight 

 million seven hundred and forty-three pounds, the value of which was 

 $375,283. Boston received over one million pounds, valued at $73,000, and 

 miscellaneous receipts, seven hundred and fifty-two thousand two hundred 

 and one pounds — an aggregate of about nine million nine hundred and 

 sixty-seven thousand three hundred and fifty pounds, or $496,835 worth. 



The consumption, therefore, is immense, and if we, in California, can 

 grow something of our own home production to supplant these importations, 

 what a great advantage it will be to us as fruit growers. 



CREDIT FOR INTRODUCING A SUPERIOR FIG. 



I think that great credit is due to the Bulletin Company of San Francisco 

 for their efforts to introduce into California something superior to what we 



