30 BULLETIN 732, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 
Sometimes it is thought advisable to plant capri varieties first, for 
the reason that they usually fail to carry the mamme crop through the 
winter until they have reached the age of 4 or 5 years. As the capri 
trees produce the other two crops as early as the Smyrna, the diffi- 
culty may be avoided by securing from older orchards mamme capri- 
figs early in April to caprify the spring crop of the capri trees, thus 
providing a supply of profichi for caprifying the Smyrna crop of the 
young trees. 
MAKING AND ROOTING CUTTINGS. 
A fig orchard may be started by planting cuttings directly where 
the future trees are to stand, as is done in Asia Minor, but the almost 
universal practice in California is to plant the cuttings in nursery rows 
where they can be supplied with the necessary moisture until rooted. 
Cuttings taken from terminal branches and about 10 to 12 inches in 
length are preferable. In taking the cutting it should be cut through 
a node rather than between nodes, for the reason that between the 
nodes the pith is quite large and when planted leaves a hole in the 
bottom of the tree, while at the node the stem is solid. 
In putting out the cuttings in the dry climate of California and 
other Southwestern States it is important that they be planted deeply, 
leaving not more than half an inch above the surface. If any large 
preportion of the cutting projects above the ground, the evaporation 
from the bark is such that the absorption below, there being no roots, 
will be insufficient to supply the loss of moisture and many of ae 
cuttings will die. 
The trees should. be planted not less than 30 feet apart, and at the 
time of planting should be cut down to within about 2 feet of the 
surface. The ground should be plowed deeply and well pulverized, 
and if any hardpan exists it should be loosened by exploding a half 
stick of dynamite where each tree is to stand. The trees should be 
liberally irrigated until they are well established, but irrigation should 
not be continued later than the beginning of August. Anything that 
tends to keep up the circulation of the sap, preventing the wood from 
thoroughly ripening, renders the young trees lable to injury by frost. 
Smyrna fig trees will give a few figs the third year. The fourth 
year, if they do well, should furnish a crop that will pay ali the ex- 
penses of cultivation. From that time on, the crop and profits will 
increase for a generation. 
ADAPTATION TO CLIMATE. 
The fig endures about the same degree of cold as the olive. If not 
long continued, a minimum of 12° to 14° F. above zero is not injur- 
ious to mature trees, but this appears to be about the limit. Young 
trees if in a succulent condition would be badly set back if not killed 
at such temperatures. The cultivated fig (Ficus carica) deltghts in a 
dry, warm climate, but thrives also ia a moist one, but not in the 
¥ 
5 
z- 
2s 
. 
N 
| 
