50 BEPORT ON THE FIG MOTH IN SMYRNA. 
the number of moths which breed from them. Whether or not these 
figs can be put to any other use than simply being eaten raw by the 
peasants is yet to be learned, but if so it would be of great value and 
an effectual means of reducing infestation to the autumn or export 
crop. 
PROTECTION OF DRYING FIGS. 
Covering the figs at night, while they are drying on the " serghi," 
would very much reduce their "worminess." A practical way of 
doing this would be to adopt frames for the drying as used in Cali- 
fornia, which could be stacked one over the other each evening. 
Where this is found too expensive, a covering of cloth of mesh close 
enough to prevent oviposition, spread over the figs each evening and 
held down with weights, would do much to exclude the moths and 
thus prevent the deposition of eggs on the figs. But even this simple 
treatment, in order to give results, should be uniformly applied by 
all growers. The effect of such a treatment would be to divert the 
moths to the orchard ; but their consequent scattering, and the much 
greater time that would be required for them to deposit eggs upon 
the same number of figs on the trees, would result in a marked diminu- 
tion of the damage. 
EXCLUDING MOTHS FROM FIG " DEPOTS." 
As a special precaution against infestation of figs in the " depots," 
the latter were ordered by the director general of agriculture to 
be thoroughly disinfected throughout with chlorid of lime and 
whitewashed before any figs should enter them, as required in the 
packing " khans " of Smyrna. Measures of precaution such as these 
for the destruction of eggs and cocoons already in the " depots " are 
practically useless, as the buildings bear no living traces of the 
moths at the beginning of the season, and as practically no moths 
are brought in with the figs, the majority must enter by night through 
the open doors and windows. A careful screening of these and 
closing of all stray openings about the roof and under the gables 
in July or the early part of August, before the figs have entered, 
would exclude practically all moths from the fig "depots" and 
very considerably reduce the amount of infestation to figs. 
DESTRUCTION OF EGGS ON FIGS. 
Even with close adherence to the precautions advised above, 
namely, the covering of figs on the " serghi " and careful screening 
of the " depots," many figs will become infested with eggs before 
they leave the " depots," for the moths will find access to the fruit 
while on the tree, or while on the ground in the orchard before being 
