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fig, so far as I know, and I think, among the industries of the State, there 

 is scarcely anything superior to what this fig may be. All portions of the 

 State almost are adapted to the cultivation, and if we can succeed in get- 

 ting a fig, such as Mr. Parker has here, or such as the gentlemen in San 

 Diego have, and which I believe to be the same, there is no exaggeration 

 of the benefits to be derived from its propagation. 



Dr. Kimball: I move that all parties that are interested in the cultiva- 

 tion and growing of the fig, be requested to forward to the Secretary of the 

 State Board of Horticulture, in the middle of the week preceding the last 

 Friday in July and September next, specimens of the fruit of the fig, its 

 leaves and its twigs, accompanying the same with a statement of the locality 

 and climate and as much of the history of the tree as he can give. 



Carried. 



SPICED FIGS. 



Mr. Gray, of Chico: We should not forget our old California black fig. 

 A merchant from Chicago told me last summer that we could not put up 

 too many figs, that is, spiced according to a recipe given me, adding a little 

 ginger. He said that a few kegs had been brought to Chicago, and they 

 went off like hot cakes, and they didn't begin to supply the demand, and 

 that if the people of California who had these large, fine black figs were to 

 put them up in as nice shape, they could sell every one of them at a good 

 profit. This is the recipe: Spiced figs. — To ten pounds of ripe figs take one 

 quart vinegar; one fourth pound spice mixed of the following kinds: cloves, 

 allspice, cinnamon; put all together and bring to a boil, then add figs and 

 boil till tender; scald for three successive mornings, then add one cup 

 preserved ginger. 



SHALL WE CAN OR DRY OUR FRUITS? 



Essay by R. C. Kells, Yuba City. 



On receiving notice that I had been selected as one to prepare an essay 

 at this convention on the subject of " Shall we can or dry our fruits," the 

 thought came to my mind very forcibly that material to prepare an essay 

 on such an important subject as this one must be getting very scarce; but 

 as the subject is a very important one, and near to us, I feel that it is my 

 duty to bring this subject before this convention that we may have the 

 opinion of all fruit growers, as well as fruit canners and driers; because I 

 think all present not only feel a greater interest in fruit culture generally 

 than ever before; and after years of thought and labor the questions come 

 to us, "What shall we do with the vast amount of fruit now being and 

 which will be produced in the near future throughout this glorious State — 

 California?" "Who shall we look to for consumers of these fruits, and 

 after finding consumers, how shall we prepare our fruits for them, canned 

 or dried ? " 



W e will for a moment see what our consumers have done for us in the 

 way of canned and dried fruits in 1887. As near as we can get at it there 

 was used in 1887 in California in canning about sixteen thousand tons of 

 fresh fruit; there was shipped of fresh fruits, about twenty thousand tons; 

 there was used to make dried fruits (outside of raisins), about twenty 

 thousand tons of fresh fruits. We see by these figures that there were four 



