TWENTY-SIXTH SESSION. 
33 
bi-ferous varieties, such as Brown Turkey and Green Ischia. In this way 
fig culture may be possible here. 
I merely make these remarks by way of showing that it is a possibility 
for you here to cultivate figs quite advantageously as an amateur product, 
not as a commercial product. You cannot expect the latter in this climate, 
I think. 
Mr. Parsons: I may perhaps supplement what has been said by stating 
my recollection of the experience of Mr. Benner of Astoria. He planted fig 
- trees in his garden and succeeded for many years in getting a very satisfac- 
tory. crop. He would grow them until they became of bearing size. Each 
.year after that, he would cut all the roots right down through the ground, 
on one side, close to the stem, then lay the tree flat on the ground and cover 
it with earth. The next year he would repeat the process on the other side, 
leaving the previously cut roots to make new ones. In that way he pro- 
tected them thoroughly against the cold. 
Prof. Van Deman: It certainly is very gratifying to me, and I know it 
must be to others, to hear of the successful outcome of this caprification of 
the fig; which of course, as has been so clearly stated here, is absolutely 
necessary to the production of the choice figs that are grown in the vicinity 
of Smyrna and in other regions in that part of the world, where the finest 
figs known in the market are produced. 
As Dr. Howard has stated with regard to the attempt that was made at. 
Washington, many years ago, by Dr. Riley and myself, to bring about this 
state of things, I may say that one leading idea (and it was the main idea 
that I had when I organized the Division of Pomology) was to enable our 
people in this country to produce everything that could be produced on this 
side of the ocean and to quit sending their money away to foreign countries 
for things that they could just as well produce at home. That was the idea 
that was in my mind when this importation was made of the cuttings, from 
Smyrna, of these caprifigs; and I am not astonished at all upon hearing that 
these can be grown. 
The suggestion with regard to setting the fig trees in the canyon or hilly 
parts of the country back of Fresno is one that I made to Mr. Roeding, many 
years ago; the idea being that in case they did not succeed on the lower 
valley land on which Fresno is located they might be successful back in those 
ravines. In fact, that is wiiat is done in Turkey, as I found by correspond- 
ence with our consuls there, they often have just such natural conditions 
there and they depend upon those wild caprifig trees that are among the hills. 
I am sure that if this idea is followed up the time will not be far distant when 
we will have as good figs in our market here as any that we can import from 
Smyrna or any other, part of the world. 
With regard to fig culture in general, of course most pomologists know that 
figs can be growm almost anywhere if they are only protected in the winter 
time. I have plenty of them in my place in Virginia; we have an abundance 
of figs there. Last wdnter most of them were killed to the ground. We have 
several kinds there, including the Brunswick and the Brown Turkey. The 
Brunswick does exceedingly well. Any one who takes the pains to grow 
them as stated by Mr. Parsons and others can grow figs for his own use.. 
I remember seeing them growing in Southern Ohio when I was a child; and 
I saw them growing at the experiment station at Mr. Lyon’s, place in Michi- 
gan, within the last year. It is a matter of interest chiefly to amateurs, of 
course, to grow these things. 
5 
