234 THE BOOK OF USEFUL PLANTS 



Meanwhile, Mr. Roeding, up in his orchard in 

 Fresno County, California, was able to get the 

 answer: "Yes!" to the first question. He took 

 pollen from the Capri figs and forced it into the 

 Smyrnas' doorways, tagged the fruits thus treated, 

 and waited for results. The tree dropped all the 

 fruit but the ones that received the pollen he 

 administered by hand. They swelled to full size, 

 ripened, and had the fragrance, the flavor, and the 

 sweetness of the Smyrna figs at home! 



This was in 1890. The missing link was now 

 sought with all diligence, and found in the orchards 

 of Turkey. A tiny wasp, so small as to be almost 

 invisible to the naked eye, was seen to enter the 

 "eye" of the Capri fig, and the same insect was 

 found in the other figs at blossoming time. The 

 magnifier discovered this hungry wasp searching 

 each individual flower for its sac of nectar. Once 

 identified, it was easy to recognize the fact that 

 these midge-like insects were not at all scarce. 

 The industry of fig-culture depended upon them! 

 Without them, the whole world would go fig- 

 hungry. 



How startled the nectar-loving little Blasto- 

 phaga would have been to learn what a grave 

 responsibility rested upon her — meso-thorax! 

 (Insects do not have shoulders.) Is an insect ever 



