Fig History in the New World

Author(s): Ira J. Condit

Source: Agricultural History, Vol. 31, No. 2 (Apr., 1957), pp. 19-24
Published by: Agricultural History Society
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 Fig History In The New World

IRA J. CONDIT

is not definitely determined. But in a letter

Aecounts of the history of fig culture in

to the E;ng from Havana on February 17,

the New World are found in publieations

1577, Martinez wrote: 4'And what may be

aecessible only in widely separated li-

truthfully told your ZIajesty is that in

braries. Thisa article attempts to bring

Santa Elena (Parris Island, South Caro-

together some of the more important items

lina) I planted with my own hands grape

of historical interest and will conelude

vines, pomegranate trees orange and fig

with persollal observations made by the

trees. " 7 Two years later Menendes wrote

author in recent years on fig varieties col-

from v ' San Agustin, " Florida: " There are

lected at early settlements in the eastern

beginnillg to be many fruits of Spain, sueh

United States.

as figs, pomegranates, oranges, grapes in

The oldest fig tree in the New World is

great quantity. S S 8
undoubtedly the Pizarro tree growing in

It was about 40 years later that fig trees

a patio of the governor's palace in Ijima,

were introduced into Virginia. The ship

Peru. This eity was founded in 1535 and

Coneord reaGhed Virginia from the Ber-

it is presumed the figr tree was brought

mudas in December, 1621 writes Alexan-

from Spain and planted a few years after

der Brown, with 4'two large eedar chests

the construction of the palace. It is proba-

wherein were fitted all sueh kindes and

bly, therefore, over 400 years old. The

sortes of the country plants and fruits as

original trunk has long since perished, its

their lland had as figgs, pomegranates,"

plaee being taken by two main trunks and

ete.9 Brown also relates that King James I

a few suckers. The Pizarro tree produees

caused his servant, John Bonnel, a Flrench-

blaek figs corresponding to Negra ( San

man, to prepare "A Treatise on the art of

Pedro) as deseribed by Tamaro.l Some 50

making silk together with instructions

years after the eonquest of Peru, Aeosta

how to plant and to dress vines and to

wrote "there growes apples and peares but

make wine and how to dry raisins, figs and

not abundantly; there are but few plumbs

other fruits. 2 '

but abundanee of figges, thieflr in Peru. " 2

Apparently the fig trees brought from

It was not into Peru, however, that the

Bermuda thrived, for CapXin John Smith

first introductions of figs into the New

World were made. Puente y Olea found 1 Domenico Tamaro, Tratodo de Ptruticutt?tra

(Bareelona, 1920).
records in Seville, Spain, that European

; Joseph Aeosta, The NaturaII and MoralF His-

varieties of figs were first sent to the West

tor1,e of the East vxd West lndtes, translated by

Indies in 1520.3 Oviedo y Valdes, whose

E. G. Sims (London, 1590).

History was published in 1526, reported

a Manuel Puente y Olea, Los Trabajos GeograN-

cos de la Casa de C;ontratacior ( Sevilla, 1900).

fig trees growing in various places on the

4 G. F. Oviedo y Valdes, Historta Gexeral y Nat-

Island of Espanola, representing the va-

tsal de laZs Indias, first published, 1526 (Madrid,

riety called Godens in Castille and Bur-

]851-1855), 1:288.

jassotte in Aragon and Cataluna.4 Pre-

9 Leon J. Ganova Cuba, Department of Agri-

vious to the retirement of the Spanish eulture, ()ommeree and Labor (Havana, 1910).

6 F. Unger, Plcmts 7Jsed M Food by SIan U. S.

authorities, eulture o f grapes and figs was

Commissioner Patents Report (Agrieulture) 1859,

prohibited in Cuba exeept for one vine or

1860, 299-362.

tree for each family in order to prevent

Bartelome al Rey Martinez letter to king, in

competition with the home industry of

Jeannette T. (:onnor, Colonuzl Records of Spanesh

ZIother Spain.5 It is recorded that the fig Florida (1577), 1:245.

t- Pedro Menendez, " A la Audieneia de Santo

tree was introduted into AIexieo by Cortez

D(lmingo, Sas Augustin, " in Connor, Coloniat Rec-

in 1560.6

ods of Spanish Florida, 2:227.

The exact date of the first planting of

9 Alexander Brown, The First Republtc in Xmer-

fig trees in North Ameriea by the eolonists ica (Boston, 1898).

19

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 AGRIOULTURAL HISTORY
20

wrote in 1629 that "vines, figges, and other

figs were carefully noted in his diary; in

fruits some have planted that prospered

1857 these were July 13 and September 22.
exeeedingly; but their diligence about to-
Early in the nineteenth eentury, Estwiek
bacee left them to be spoiled by eattel, yet
Evans found gardens near New Orlea.ns
now they beginne to revive.''l° Mistress
" elegantly ornamented with orange and
Jane Pieree came to Virginia in 1610 with
fig trees." 21 About the same time, Thomas
her husband, Captain Willia.m Pieree. She
Nuttall journeyed into the "Arkansa Ter-
was " an honest, industrious woma.n, "
ritory " and found fig trees at Natchez,
wrote Captain Smith, and "saith shee hath
also orchards of figs near New Orleans.22
a garden at Jamestowne, eontaining three
Berquin-Duvallon traveled in Louisiana
or four aeres, where in one yeare she hath
and reported in 1806 tha.t "the orange, fig,
gathered neere a hundred bushels of exeel-
peaeh, pear, apple, and vine grow there
lent figges. " In 1642, St.ephen Webb
but they neither coneiliate the eye nor the
planted "apricoekes, ffigs, and pear trees"
taste." 23 On the other hand, John Bart-
along the James River.1l

ram fou.nd few fig trees in Plorida and

Willia.m Hilton reported that by 1633
South Carolina and even remarked: " I
na.tives along the Carolina-Georgia Coast,
ean 't but admire ye indolence of these
even before much eonta.et with the Eng-
people in not planting fig and pome-
lish, were growing a.nd extensively using granate. 2 2 24

peaches and figs.12 Clayton Hall wrote

that in Maryland " aprieoeks, figgs and

1O John Smith, Travels and Works, edited by
pomegranates prosper exeeedingly. 2 2 13 In
Edward Arber (2 vols., Edinburgh, 1910), 2:627,
1666, Robert Sandford told of "some store
887, 905, 907.

of figge trees srery large and faire both 11 William and 7Wary College Quorterly, 6:121.

l2Lewis a. Gray, Ilistory of Xgric7hltqffire w the

fruite and plants, " on Broad River, South
Southern United States to 1860 (2 vols., Washing-
Carolina.14 Captain Ash also found fruit ton, 1933 ) .

trees sueh as the fig in great abundane-e ill 1; C7layton C:. Hall, lNarratives of Early Mary-
land (New York, 1910).
the Carolinas.l5 The name New Smyrna

14Robert Sandford, "Relation of a Voyage on

was given to a town in Florida where Dr.
the Coa.st of the Provinee of Carolina," (1666) in
Andrew Turubull established in 1763 a
Narratives of Early Carolina, edited by Alexander
colony of 1500 Greeks and Minoreans who S. Salley (New York, 1911 ) .

naturally eultivated fruits familiar to them 16 Thomas Ash, "Carolina; or a Deseription of

sueh as the fig and olive.16 Some of these the Present State of That C"ountry, " (1682) in

B. R. Carroll, Historical Collections of South Caro-

trees still remained at New Smyrna in
lina (New York, 1836), 2 :60-120.
1821.

1dJames G. Forbes, Sketches, Historical and

During the 18th century, various writers Topographical of the Floridas (New York, 1821).

told of fig eulture and its extension north 17 John Briekell, The Natural ffistory of North
Carolina ( Dublin, 173 7 ) .

and westward from the eoast. Brickell

lS Peter J. Hamilton, Colonial Mobile (Boston,
wrote o;f two sorts of " figg tree, " the lfit].O ) .

greater whieh bore small fruit, and the

1s Willia.m Bartram, Travels (F;irst edition,
lesser, more like a bush than a tree, with 1 F 91 ) (New York, 1940 ) .

considerably larger fruit.l7 Fig trees had 20 Charles S. Sydnor, A Gentleman of the Old

tiatchez Reqion, B'enjamin L. C. Wailes (Dur-

been introduced to Mobile, Ala.bama, from
ham, N. C., 1938).

Provence by 1720.18 Willia.m Bartram

21 Estwick Evans, " A Pedestrious Tour, " in
wrote in 1791 about the ruins of aneient Early Festern Travels, edited by R. G. Thwaites
( (:levela.nd, 1904 ) .
habitations some 40 miles north of Mobile
22 Thomas .Nuttall, Journal of lRrovels into the
where there were large fig trees wit.h fruit
Arkansa Territory (Philadelphia, 1821 ) .
"the shape of pears and as large, and of ra
23 Berquin-Duvallon, Travels in LoXuistana and
dark, bluish-purple eolor."l9 A "GEentle-
the Floridas tn the Year f802 (New York, 1806).
man of the old Natehez Region" was Ben- 24 John Ba-rtram, " Diary of a Journey, 1765-

jamin Wailes,20 whose favorite fruit wa.s 1766, " annotated by Francis Harper, Ameriean
Philosophieal Soeiety, Transactzons, n.s. 32 :1-120
figs. The days. of the first and last mess of (1942) .

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 FIG HISTORY IN THE NEW WORLD
21

the fruit line 1 ever partook Of.on 31 By

There seee to be eontradietions in the

1844, tffleck had an orehard of 50 trees

seventeenth century reeords of Virginia as

and six yea.rs later he reported that of the

given by Robert Beverley a.nd by Philip

20-odd sorts in his orehard, the Celeste or

Bruee. The first found that "the almond,

Celestial was the general favorite.32 His

pomegranat.e and fig ripen very well, and

Rural Almanaes and Plantation and Gar-

yet there are not ten people in the country

den Calendars issued from 1851 to 1854

that ha.ve a.ny of them in their gardens.''25

offered nursery trees of some 15 varieties

Bruce, on the other ha-nd, reported figs "in

for sale from 25¢ to $1.00 eaGh.

all the gardens, and in season large qua.n-

Fig trees were planted and are still to

tities went to deeay beeause there was no

be found at praetically all the historic

way of using the superfluity. 2 26 In South

towns and estates of Virginia and Mary-

Carolina, aeeording to Cornelius Walker,

land sueh a.s VVilliamsburg, Wakefield, and

the premium list of an 1807 Fair, ineluded

dried figs, the fruit. of whieh " grows easily Stratford Hall. A visitor to Wakefield

in 1851 found in the midst of a 200-

and luxuriantly but there is no reeorded

aere eornfield, an old briek chisnney, a

efRort of its being dried in ma.rketable

mammoth fig tree (whieh some think may

quantities, and it has never become, as it

have been a. haekberry) and a stone slab

might, a staple erop. n n 27

inseribed: " Here the 22nd of Februa.ry,

Thomas Jefferson, who had ma.ny other

1732, Wa.shillgton was born.'33 Washing-

hortieultural interests, wa.s a devotee of

the fig. Mthile in Franee in 1787 he wrote *ton Irving visited Wakefield about 1857

and reported that not a vestige of the house

a letter to a friend stating that:

remained, but "two or three deeayed fig

The fig and mulberry are so well known in Amer-

trees with shrubs and vines, linger about

ica, tha.t nothing need be said of them. Their

culture, too, is by women nd children, and there-

the place. " 34 fIowever, Hoppin told of

fore, earnestly to be desired in countries where

still another arisitor who in 1882 found a

t]-rere are slaves. In these, the women and children

fragment of the ehimney and also "a dense

al e often employed in labors disproportioned to

thieket of shrubby fig trees colvering a

their ses and age. By presenting to the ma.ster

obJects of culture, easier and equally beneficial, all eireular spaee of nearly fifty feet in di-

telulptation to misemploy them would be removed

ameter, thiekly matted together, the larg-

and the lot of this tender pa.rt of our speeies be

est of whieh are three inehes at the ba.se

much softened.28

Jefferson 's interest in figs is further

23Robert Beverley, lRhe Htstory and Present

shown by the faet that he introduced three State of Virginia, first published, 1705 (C!ha-pel

Hill, N. Car., 1947 ) .

varieties from Franee for trial. Aeeord-

26 Philip Bruce, Elconomic History of Vtrpinia

ing to Edwin Betts, the Marseilles fig

trb the 17th Centr?y (2 vols., New York, 1935).

brought from Pranee was regarded by

27 (:ornelius Walker, Btstory of the Xgricultqxral

Jefferson as ineomparably superior to any

Society of Soouth Carolina Foended Jugtlst 24th,

1, 85 ( Charleston, S. Car., 1919 ) .

fig he had ever seen.29 This va.riety was dis-

28 Everett E. Edwards, Jefterson and Jgricul-

tributed widely by Jefferson but. its exa.et

ture, U. S. Departmelnt of Agrieulture, IIistorical

identity is in doubt, although it lnay be

Series, no. 7, 1943.

the same as Blanthe ( White Marseilles ) .

29 Edwin C. Betts, Thoqnas Jefterson's Garden

From these early beginnings, fig trees Book (Philadelphia, 1944).

:¢° U. P. Hedrick, A Eistory of Eorticqtlture in

were distributed and planted far and wide.

Americai to 186() (New York, 1950).

As Hedriek states, "From the ea.rliest set-

31 Thomas Affleek, Letter, June 30, Arnerican

tlement in the Gulf States, northward to

Agricalturist, 1: 153 ( 1842 ) .

Virginia. and even to AIarvland, fig eulture

32 Thomas Affleek, Letter, March 5, Aw.erican

Sgricutturist, 3:182 (1844).

was earried on with the grea.test opti-

33 (:harles A. Hoppin, " The House in Which

mism. " 30 One enthusiast was Thomas

George Washington Was Born, " Tyl er 's Quarte rBy

Affleek, who in 1842 visited Washington,

Historical and General Magazine, 8:73-103 (1926).

AIississippi, where he found "figs in per-

34 Washington Irving, Life of George Washing-

feetion, eertainly the greatest luxury in ton (5 vols., New York, 1857-1860) 1:17.

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 AGRIOULTURAL HISTORY

22

and eight to ten feet high. " 35 George even in some of the New England States.

Washington grew fig trees on his Mt. Ver-

non estate, for in 1930 Edith Sale stated While some of the historiGal aeeounts
tha.t a row of fig bushes st.ood beside the already eited indieate sueeessful culture of
box hedge and " doubtless the children the fig tree in the southeastern United
after lessons would delight in their abun- Sta.tes, for various reasorls it ha.s not be-
come there a erop of coznmercial impor-
danee. 2 2 36

Stratford Hall, home of the IJee fa.mily, tanee. P. W. Rea.soner reported that J. S.
also had its ga.rden with fig and other fruit Russell of Olustee, Florida, s.et out a fig
trees. In her "Journal of a young lady of oreha.rd of 30 aeres but destroyed it after
Virginia, " 1782 Ijutinda Orr wrote the the trees eame into bearing on account of
following: " Cousin Nancy and myself labor costs and inability to meet foreign
have just returned from taking an airing compet.ition, while S. B. Walls of St. Au-
in the Chariot. We went to Stra.tford, gustine started preserving figs, 60 bushels
walked in the Garden, sat about two hours a day, but gave it up as. an unsuccessful
under a butifull shade tree, and eat as venture.43 A 90-acre planting in Florida
many figs as we could."37 On the other reported by W. T. Swingle was ruined by
hand, Margaret. Smith reported this eon- a late freeze.44 But in 1910 F. C. Reimer
versation over a Washington menu in sa.id he knew of one a.ere of figs at Raleigh,
1835: "No nuts., raisins, figs, ete?" "Oh, NTorth Carolina, whieh " during the past
no, no, ma'am, they are quite vulga.t."38 five years netted the owner greater re-
At least three ho:rticulturists in the turns than any acre in other fruits in the
northern tier of states became so enthusi- eastern half of the State. " 45 As H. P.
astic that they published eirculars about G-ould reported in 1919, fig trees e.ould be
fig culture and offered many va.rieties for seen growing almost everywhere in the fig
sale. One was James Worthington of belt east of the Mississippi River, but in
Chillicothe, Ohio, whose " Manual " ap- most cases only nea.r buildings or in door-
yards and gardens.46
peared in 1869.39 His father had obtained
fig trees from IJouisiana in 1815 and the
son ha.d for more than 30 years experi- 35 Hoppin, "The House in Which George Wash-
ington Was Born."

ment.ed with various metqhods of winter

36 Edith S. Sale, IIistoric Gardens of Virginia
protection. The second enthusiast was (Richmond, 1930).

Martin Benson of Swanwick, Illinois, who sT Mrs. Lueinda Lee Orr, Journol of a Young
stated in 1886 that the fig excelled all other lady of Virgtnis (Baltimore, 1871).
fruits for the northern states and that its 38 Margaret B. Smith, The First Forty Yeors of
Washington Socety (New York, 1906).
culture wa.s no Ionger an experiment.40 A
39J. T. Worthington, Menuol of Fig Cultqxre tn
four-page circular by G. F. Needha.m of the Northern and Midd le States ( Chillieothe, Ohio,
Washington, D. C., appeared in 1879, with
1869) .

this statement: " no other erop ca.n be 40 Martin Benson, Guide to Fig C¢lture sn the
raised which will give so certain and so Open Groxnd at the North (Swanwiek, Ill., 1886).
41 G. F. :NTeedham, Fsg Cuzlture ast the North a
large returns in our Middle and Northern Success (Washington, 1879 ) .
States, as tha.t delicious fruit, the fig.X 41 2"Figs at :NTew Haven,'^ Ind;wno Farrner and
Many other records of productive fig trees GardRener. Also in Western Farmer and Gardener,
5:270 (1845).

north of the Mason-Dixon line are avail-

able but only one more will be given here. 43 P. W. Reasoner, Tropical and Sernz-tropical
Fruits, U. S. Department of Agriculture, Division
An anonymous writer in 1845 reported of Pomology, Bxlleti,n, 1:7-110 (1891).
that Dr. Dwight, formerly President of 44 W. T. Swingle, " F'ig in Florida., " Florida
Yale College, grew figs sueeessfully in the Horticultural Society, Proceedtngs, 6:51 (1893).
open garden at New Haven.42 Toda.y ma.ny 45 E. G. Reimer, Fig Cx6ltbre in North Carotina,
North Carolina Agricultural Experiment Station,
individual fig trees are still growing, oft.en Bulletin, 208 :187-206 (1910).
with elaborate winter proteetion, in sueh 4; H. P. Gould, Ftg Growing in the South jlt-
eities as Philadelphia and New York, and lantic and Gulf States, U. S. Department of Agri-
culture, Farmers ' Bblletin? 1031: 1-45 (1919) .

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 FIG HISTORY IN THEt NE2W WORLI) 23

California, a few references to these two

West of the Mississippi River, fig trees

sources will be given. Figs of Spain are

are found growing in a wide area from

mostly of the Common type, without fertile

Texas to Arizona and California, southern

seeds, and the Mission Fathers brought

Utah, north to Wa.shington. The commer-

cuttings or rooted plants of distinct vari-

eial preserving of figs in Texas was started

eties sueh as the Franeiseana (Mission).

by J. C. Carpenter 47 who found a few

Father Kino founded Mission stations in

Brunswick (AIagnolia) trees growing near

Baja California in 1683 56 and shortly

Houston in 1900. He settled at Aldine,

after there were growing many Castilian

established an orchard of 23 a.eres, and

fruits suGh as the fig. Miguel Venegas re-

from 1902 to 1904 put out preserved figs

****w.n1*..

ferred to Fathers Aseencion and Ugarte

1n m( .lvlclua. Jars tor cllnlng-car servlce

and hotels. At Hurricane, Utah, a pioneer who had planted at San Barnabe figs,

olives, grapes and other fruits growing in

resident, Amos Workman, remembered

New Spain.57 Aecording to Forbes, Father

seeing fig trees growing nearby in 1866,

Izuyando planted fruit trees at Mission

during his boyhood days. Ilater he pla.nted

San Ignacio in 1728; figs and dates were

trees of several varieties whieh produced

later dried and exported.58 As reported by

well if the trees eseaped winter injury.

Eisen, the fig orchards of Baja California

About 1928 trees of :Pranciscana ( Mission )

are found principally in the tentral part

with trunks up to 18 inches in diameter,

of the peninsula from Purisimia and Co-

froze back to the ground. As pointed out

mondu to Ila Paz.59 In Sonora on the

by J. T. Woodbury, however, fig trees do

Mexican mainland, Eisen found only the

thrive in such f avorable localities as

"AIission black fig" the fruit being con-

Toquerville, Ija Verkin, and Hurrieane,

sumed fresh.
ftah.48

In conelusion, I wish to add to the above

A pioneer grower farther north is Bert

records some personal observations made

Amend, Portland, who since 1916 has

tested 40 or 50 varieties of figs and, from

4T J. G. Carpenter, "The Skinless Preserved Fig

his Willamette Fig Gardens, has distrib-

Industry, " Houston, Texas, Chron?cle, May 25,

uted thousands of young trees in Oregon

1924.

48 J. T. Woodbury, " Farming in Utah's Dixie, "

and Washington.49 Aceording to Joseph

Salt Lake, Utah, Farmer, February 10, 1923.

Gaston, fig trees were found in abundance

49 Ruby Boys, " Pioneer Grower Einows All

nea.r Fort Vancouver, Washington in

About Figs Adapted to C!limate of Northwest, "

1836.5° Scores of trees have long been

Portland, Oregon Joourna!, October 11, 1942.

grown near Seattlee especially on Vas.hon 6°Josaph Gaston, The Centennull Eistory of

Orepon (3 vols., Chieago, 1912).

Island, but the combination of occasional

61T. A. Sharpe, "Experimental Farm for Brit-

frost damage and rainy weather in late

ish (:olumbia Report for 1895, " Canada Experi-

summer often makes production of fresh

mental Farms, Report, 1895:371-412.

figs deeidedly unsatisfactory. An account

62 H. C. VVyllie, Address, August 12, 1850, Royal

Hawaiian Agricultural Soeiety, Tronsoctions, 1:36-

of the unsuccessful attempt to grow fig

49 (1850) .

trees on Vancouver Island, British Co-

53E. J. Wiekson, "Galifornia Mission Fruits,"

lumbia, is given by T. A. Sharpe.51 The

Overland Monthly, 11: 501-505 (1888) .

Journal of Don Francisco Marin, as re-

64Gustav Eisen, The Fig, U. S. Department of

newed by H. C. Wyllie, tells of fig and Agrieulture, Division of Pomology, Bt4lletin, no. 9,

1901.
other subtropieal fruit trees being planted

65 Ira J. Gondit, The Fig (Waltham, Mass.,

on January 11, 1813, in Hawaii.52

1947) .

In the eentral valleys of California, how-

58 Kino, Eino 's Bistoricol Memoir of Pirneria

ever, the fig industry is of great commer-

Alta, translated by H. E. Bolton (2 vols., Cleve-

land, 1919).
eial importaNnce. The early history of fig

6T Miguel Venegas, A NatqbraI and Civtl History

plantings in California has been given b,

of Catifornta (2 vols., London, 1759) 1:43.

W;ekson,53 Eisen,54, Condit,55 a.nd by many

58Forbes, Sketches, Htstoricat andv 170polgrophi-

others and will not be reviewed here. Since

cal of the Ftoridas.

the first trees eame from Mexieo via. Baja 59 Eisen, lRhe Fig.

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 24 AGRICULTURAL HISTORY

Fterte (Isehia Green)-Grown commereially at

while visiting places of historital interest.

Clrisfield, Maryland.

Two such visits? one in 1940 and the seeond

Sanf Ptero (Cgalifornia Brown Turkey)-Trees at

in 19487 were made in the company of Mr.

Saxis, Virginia*, and Crisfield.

and Mrs. fIarry Fulton, Washington?

Jlalta (Celeste) Trees very eommon, apparently

D. C. Though retired as Plant Pathologist, more hardy than most others; loeally known as

the Sugar fig; lnain planting of this variety

United States Department of Agriculturey

at Williamsburg.

Fulton's zeal has been unflagging in eiting

Iteanciscana (Mission)-One tree on the original

re£erences to literature, supplying histori-

Arlington plaee of the Custis family near Cape

cal reeords, a.nd eolleeting cuttings of odd

Charles, Virginia; alw near Norfolk and at

Hampton Institute.
fig trees for propagation. At Wakefield,

Dottato (Eadota) One tree at Diamond Springs

we found fig bushes growing near the

wT * *

v lrgmla.

baek door of the restored Washington

Blanche (Marseilles White)-One tree on Custis

birthplace. At Stratford we ww se+reral

plaee near Cape Charles, also at (7risfield.

Yellow Nhes An unidentified variety f rom

fig trees but probably not those froln

Jamestown.

which the '4young lady of Virginia"

Troione (Lemon)-Probably this sariety growing

feasted. In the gardens of the restored

at (:risfield and on nearby Smith Island.

Governor 's palaGe at A2Villiamsburg, we

CcfpmfiA seedling tree along highway near Ae-

found in 1940 a sfiggery" of young trees

eomac Marylands a reminder of the faet that

seedling trees grown from fertile seeds of im-

had been established. In 1948, these trees

ported Smyrna figs, were at one time not un-

were thriving and several were espaliered

common.

against the brick wall. Here also we wer-e

Sinee 1940, 80 distinet lots of fig cut-

relninded of the statement as reeorded by

tings colleeted bv me or forwarded by Mr.

Porcher that pipe stems are eommonly

Fulton, mostly from ATirginia and Ma!ry-

made from fig branches.60 At Jamestown

land, have been received and tested at the

the guide showed us two fig trees by house

ITniversity of California Citrus E:xperi-

and barn, one produeing green fruit the

ment Station, :ELiverside. The Brown Tur-

Other brown, possibly deseendants of the

key,62 long heralded as the most popular

trees from which Mistress Pieree picked

variety of England, has been identified

bushels of ' s eseellent figges. e ' Two small

from material colleeted at Mt. Vernon

eammereial plantinv d the Brown Turkey

Stratford LEIall7 and Jamestown.

fig were loeated at Cheriton, Virnia.

Cuttings from five different gardens in

Another and larger planting is that of

Washington D. C. have been identified as

Stoughton Sterling at Crisfield, Maryland

Monstrueuse? showing that this Preneh

where fresh figs of two or three varieties

variety is being sueeessfully grown in the

are produeed and shipped to eity markets.

eastern IJnited States.

Iliterally hundreds of fig bushes or single

It is evident from the above aecount that

trees are growing in the coastal belt of

the New World is deeply indebted to the

Virginia and Maryland in spite of winter

early colonists £or the introductions of

temperatures which sometilnes register al-

choiee var;eties of fruits and nuts intro-

most or even below zero.

duetions whieh are tontinuing espeeially

During these two trips through Virginia

by Italian immigrants, who even irl Rhode

and Maryland, Fulton and I identified

Island are planting fig trees and enjoying

12 varieties of figs as listed here. The

the fresh fruit as illustrated hy Ijong in

nomenelature followed is that found in

48*63

Gondit's monograph of 1955.ffl

Ischic-A large bush growing at Grossi ' ate, 69 Franeis P. Poreher, :Resoqxrces of the Southern

near Easton, Maryland. P%elds and Forests (Cha:rleston, 1869 ) .

B7answick (Magnolia)-Golnmon; fine trees along 61 Ira J. Condit, {sFig Varieties: A Monograph,J}

south wall of Naval observatory itL Washington, Etlgardta, 23:323-538 (1955).

62 Ibtd.> 428.

D. C

Brown liq>lrkey Common; trees often bear two e3 George W. Long, " Xhode Island Modern

Grops; well regarded for eanning and preserving. City-state} " Notioncll Geogratphic Mapazi7we, 94:

EarZy Fiolet Oeeasional trees only; figs small. 137-170 (1948).

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