THE SYCOMORE FIG. 



129 



I am indebted to the late Dr. E. Sickenberger, Professor of Chemistry 

 and Botany at the School of Medicine, Cairo, for the following particulars y 

 and also for the three instruments used for cutting the Figs, represented 

 by the figures. 



" The Sycomore Fig bears fruit three times a year, viz. in May, June,, 

 and in * Nitz,' that is, August and September. The first two have 

 naturally no pleasant flavour. The fruit of May and June are opened by 

 a knife in a circular manner in order to let out the Sycophaga. The 

 fruit which are opened remain small, but become very sweet and of a 

 pleasant taste. Those which are not opened become three to four times 

 larger in size, but are watery and tasteless, being full of Sycophaga. Both 

 of these first two generations of Figs are cut circularly. It is done by boys, 

 who cut off the ' eye ' with a kind of tailor's thimble, made of a piece of 

 twisted ribbon-iron sharp on one edge, or else the iron ends in a bent 

 spathula-like process, something like a curved finger nail. (Fig. 46.*) 



Fig. 47. — Figs cut open. Natural size. Fig. 48.— Figs uncut. Natural size. 



The operation is only made upon the fruits which are fit to be picked the 

 following day. 



" The day after the operation the Fig is quite ' mature ' and full of 

 living Sycophaga. The male flowers are all aborted, and the female have 

 never any perfect seeds. (Figs. 47 and 48.) 



"The third generation consists of larger Figs of an agreeable taste 

 and sweet-scented. They are not operated upon, only because in August- 

 and September, though the trees are much fuller of fruit than in May 

 and June, the people have so much to do at that time. They are seldom 

 sold, and only eaten by the owners of the trees, or else they are abandoned 

 to the field mice, birds, and dogs, which latter are very fond of them. 

 These ' nilg ' fruits are also full of Sycophaga. 



* Fig. 46 a corresponds closely with the description given by Theophrastus and 

 quoted by later writers. The " hook " is fixed in a wooden handle. This specimen 

 came from Damietta ; but it is a form which is now generally replaced by 6 and c. It 

 will be observed that these two are derived from a by converting the hook into a com- 

 plete ring ; c only differs from b by being made entirely of iron. ' The edge on the 

 left-hand side is sharp, that on the right being blunt, as. it is not used for cutting. 



K 



