PRACTICABILITY OF STERILIZING ALL FIGS. 
63 
The following table gives the lengths of exposure, the tempera- 
tures, and the number of larva' that issued from the figs aftei 
treatment : 
Temperature. 
Average 
temper- 
ature. 
Length 
of expo- 
sure. 
Number 
of figs. 
Number of larva? 
present. 
Per cent 
killed. 
Maxi- 
mum. 
Mini- 
mum. 
Average. 
Oct. 16. Oct. 28. 
°C. 
132 
121 
112 
94 
°C. 
92 
93 
94 
82 
°C. °F. Minutes. 
112 233 20 
107 224 15 
103 217 i 10 
88 190 5 
13 
8 
8 
10 

j 
1 
14 
100 
100 

It is plain that any exposure to exceed 224° F.. for 15 minute?. 
will destroy the life of practically all larva? present in the figs. This 
exposure, however, apparently has no injurious effect upon the fruit. 
A quantity of figs sterilized in the same oven by the management 
of the " khan " in which it is located was shipped to one of their 
Xew York representatives for examination and report. These figs 
were exposed for 15 minutes at an average temperature of about 
212° F. Six boxes of them were forwarded to the Lederle labora- 
tories, whose report on their condition, dated November 1. 1010. is 
summed up in the following table : a 
Treatment. 
Style of Number 
packing. of figs. 
Percentage 
showing 
evidences 
of larvae. 
General condition of the figs. 
Unsterilized 
Layer 
Sterilized 
...do 
..do 
...do... 
Sterilized 
...do 
100 
100 
v- 
12 
None. 
None. 
Less fermentation in top layers. More fer- 
mentation in bottom layers. 
Contain living molds. 
Clean and moist: no molds. Slightly greater 
fermentation. 
Slightly greater fermentation. 
In the layer figs sterilization by hot air destroyed all larvae in the 
two boxes examined. In ease of the " macaroni " tig- the same 
treatment reduced the number of larvae present over 25 per rent 
without perceptible injury to the figs. These results argue very 
strongly for the use of dry heat, in preference perhaps even to steam 
or hot water, in ridding dried figs of the objectionable larva*. 
PRACTICABILITY OF STERILIZING ALL FIGS IN SMYRNA. 
Some packers hold that in sterilizing figs the dead bodies of 
larvae remain to decay inside the fruit, whereas if not killed the larvae 
These figures were given by kind permission of a dealer of figs in Now York City 
