_Caprifigs_ (_goat figs or wild figs_).—These figs grow wild in southern
Europe, northern Africa, and western Asia, and have been recently
introduced into California. They bear all the kinds of flowers except
the _mule_ flowers, and as they are the only figs bearing _male_ flowers
they are essential in all fig districts where mature and fertile seeds
are of importance, or in other words, where caprification is necessary.
_Smyrna figs._—These are grown only in the Smyrna district of Asia
Minor. They have only female flowers, and neither these latter nor the
receptacle on which they grow will come to any maturity without
caprification or pollination. So-called Smyrna figs, which have been
bought of nurserymen, have generally proved spurious, as, unlike the
true Smyrna figs, they mature their fruit without pollination. Of late
years true Smyrna figs have been planted in California, but they have
failed to ripen fruit except when artificially pollinated. These will
not produce ripe fruit in commercial quantities until caprification can
be practiced, and neither these nor the caprifig should be planted at
the present time, except for experimental purposes.
_Common edible figs._—These are the common varieties of our orchards,
which bear fruit and mature it with regularity without pollination or
caprification. They bear two crops a year, the “early figs” or “brebas,”
and the later or “summer figs.” Of this tribe alone there are some 400
varieties described more or less perfectly, and probably as many more
undescribed and unknown.
_San Pedro figs._—This tribe contains only a few dozen varieties, some
of which are cultivated in California, and also in Florida and other
Southern States. They are characterized by maturing only the first crop
or “brebas.” The second crop always drops before reaching maturity. The
cause of this is that the first crop contains only “mule flowers,” like
those of the common figs, while the second contains only “female
flowers,” like those of the Smyrna figs.
The San Pedro tribe of fig varieties is specially valuable on account of
the large size and early maturity of the “brebas” or first crop. They
should, therefore, be planted only in places where it is desirable to
grow large, early figs, for marketing fresh. They do not succeed
everywhere, as they require a warm and early spring climate.
In tropical countries there are numerous varieties of other species of
figs growing wild. Many of them are edible, but all are less palatable
than our edible fig, and with the exception of the Sycomore fig, _Ficus
sycomorus_, of Africa, are of no economic importance except as food for
animals.
For this purpose, however, they are very useful, and the Sycomore fig
should be introduced into the Southern States, where it would probably
thrive in frost-free localities.