SMYRNA FIG CULTURE. 2 
either on the ground or on wooden platforms. In some respects the 
normal climate of the great interior valley of California is superior 
to that of Asia Minor, where summer dews are prevalent and fall 
rains sometimes injure the crop. 
It is a good practice to gather the figs very often, say two or three 
times a week. One successful grower who puts up an exceedingly 
fine product gathers the figs every day. One reason for this is that 
the eye of a caprified fig is usually quite open and the longer it remains 
on the ground the more likely it is to be visited by beetles that leave 
- eggs inside the fig, causing a wormy product. 
Sulphuring is not necessary to improve the appearance of Smyrna 
figs, as it is for the Adriatics and some other varieties. Some 
: P30025A—CP. . 
Fig. 9.—Drying grounds at Fresno, Cal. In the foreground figs are being dried on platforms, while to 
the left are stacks of trays already dried. 
growers think that spreading the figs out on trays and stacking 
them so as to keep them out of the direct rays of the sun to finish up 
the drying makes them lighter colored. 
The first operation after the figs are cathered from the ground is 
to rinse them in clear water and spread them out on wooden plat- 
forms, such as are used for drying raisins, until the surplus moisture 
has evaporated (fig. 9). They are then dumped into boxes. In the 
raisin region sweat boxes are used for the purpose. They should be 
pressed down into a solid mass and should remain in that condition 
until ready to be packed or sold to the packer. The product is thereby 
greatly improved, as’ the overdried fig absorbs moisture from the 
underdried, thus equalizing the whole mass. This process also 
causes the skin of the fig to absorb moisture and sugar from the 
interior pulp and this renders it pliable and tender. 
