136 



OFFICIAL REPORT OF THE PROCEEDINGS OF THE 



Capri figs, with the exception that the staminate flowers were absent. 

 At this time a new crop of Capri fruits had made its appearance, and 

 the insects entered them. 



Just as before, pulpy figs were the first to mature on this the third 

 crop, and from October 15th to November 10th nothing but Capri fruits 

 of this character were to be found. 



On the last date named and during the visit of Mr. Walter T. Swingle 

 for the purpose of investigating the workings of the fig insect, thousands 

 of insects were found to be emerging from Capri fruits, and these again 

 were unlike the first figs of this crop — without pulp. 



As far as is known none of the writers on this rather intricate sub- 

 ject have described more than three generations of the Blastophaga. 

 California, however, with her salubrious climate, has brought out a new 

 phase in this matter, which up to this writing was unknown, for instead 

 of three generations, there are four. 



That the Capri fig will also produce fruits which, although insipid, 

 are edible, is a feature well worth mentioning. 



In November, when Mr. Swingle made a careful examination of the 

 Capri trees, many young figs were found, and on closely examining the 

 ostium of many of the figs the gauzy-like wings of the insect could be 

 found adhering to the bracts on the outside — an indication that the 

 insect had forced its way in, although to the naked eye, and even with 

 a powerful magnifying glass, there was apparently no opening for it to 

 enter. 



To protect the figs remaining on a few of the trees, and which will 

 not grow any more now, I have built a cloth house, 28 feet wide by 75 

 feet long and 16 feet high, inclosed in which are three trees, having 

 fully one thousand fruits, which I hope to carry through the winter. 



Unfortunately the tree in the foothills which had fruited so prolificly 

 in the past failed to form any winter figs, and it is for this reason that 

 such elaborate preparations were necessary to care for the fruits on the 

 plains. Hundreds of the fruits are still to be found on the outside 

 trees, and if the fruits carry through without any injury, it will give 

 ample opportunity to determine how much frost the Capri figs will 

 stand. 



The future of the Smyrna fig business hinges on the successful carry- 

 ing through of the figs this winter. 



Only a limited number of the Smyrna figs developed as a result of 

 the flowers being pollinated by the insect, and these grew on Smyrna 

 fig trees growing within seventy-five feet of the covered tree and the one 

 close to it. 



The important point held in view above all others during that past 

 season was to perpetuate the insect and not to produce figs, and this is 

 the reason that none of the Capri figs were hung in the Smyrna fig trees. 



The propagation of the fig wasp takes place in the following manner: 



