TWENTY-FOURTH ANNUAL FRUIT-GROWERS' CONVENTION. 133 



flavor and very meaty. I think that in your experiments you have struck the keynote 

 to success, as to-day our best dried figs do not come up to the standard in quality, for 

 the reason that as yet we have not the true variety as grown in Smyrna. By that I 

 mean to say that the true Smyrna fig has not yet borne fruit like that borne in its own 

 country. The conditions, of course, will be understood as they are being looked into. 



That you have made a success in fertilizing the fruit of the Smyrna fig cannot be 

 doubted, as the seeds were as fertile as those from Smyrna. 



All figs fertilized in the manner described remained on the trees, and 

 a week after they had been pollinated a marked difference could be 

 discerned between them and the un pollinated fruits. The former com- 

 menced to develop and fill out and assumed a fresh, deep green color, 

 while the latter turned a dull yellowish green, showed their ribs very 

 distinctly, and when about three quarters of an inch in diameter, 

 dropped from the trees. 



The results of the artificial pollination proved conclusively to my 

 mind that the Capri fig and Blastophaga were necessary for the success- 

 ful production of the Smyrna fig; and having convinced myself that I 

 had the genuine Smyrna fig as well as the Capri trees, my next step was 

 to introduce the Blastophaga, in which I anticipated no great difficulty. 

 That my optimistic expectations were not to be realized as quickly as I 

 thought, the following will show. 



In the year 1892 several consignments of figs containing insects were 

 received from Smyrna, most of which were in good condition. On cut- 

 ting the figs open hundreds of insects emerged, flying around in a large 

 Mason jar in which I had placed the fruit, and these insects were after- 

 ward transferred to a covered tree. 



In 1893 a gentleman was sent to New Mexico and Arizona in search 

 of Capri figs, it having been reported to us that the trees grew in certain 

 localities there, but he found neither trees nor insects. 



In the seasons of 1894 and 1895 several consignments were again 

 received from Smyrna, one being received in the latter part of March — 

 and it was through this shipment that I first drew my conclusions as 

 to where the insect hibernated during the winter months, a matter on 

 which I could never get any information, entomologists, as well as all 

 writers on the subject, evidently being in the dark. Knowing that the 

 Ficus carica was a deciduous tree, I concluded that the figs received 

 must have been carried over on the tree during the winter months, and 

 following out these deductions I planted in 1894 a number of Capri 

 trees in a very much protected place in the foothills about twenty miles 

 east of Fresno. In the winter of 1897-98 one of the Capri trees carried 

 a number of figs through the winter, which strengthened my belief 

 that it was in the fig that the insect hibernated. 



In 1896 I received a number of consignments of Capri figs from 

 Mexico, and in 1897 I again attempted to introduce the insect from that 

 locality. Mr. Koebele, then in the employ of the Hawaiian Govern- 



