Untitled

T h e K a d o t a F ig
A T r e a t i se i t s O r i gi n
on ,
P l a nt i ng a nd C a r e
By
W . SA M C L A "K
Su l t a na C a l
, .
P "I C E ON E D OL L A " P OS T P AI D
,
P ub l i sh e d b y
T H E FI G A N D OL IV E J O
’
""N AL
3 1 1 E a s t Fo u r t h S t L o s A n ge l e s , Ca l .
W . Sa m C l a rk
C O N T E N T S
t
‘
) J
F rontispiece Stephen H T aft D iscoverer o f

, .
, the Kadota F ig .
T he Ka cl o ta Fi g
D iscovery an d I ntroduction o f the Kadota
Pl anting
I rrigation
Pruning
Picking
Packing
E astern Shipping
C anning
D ryin g
Returns pe r A cre ..
Prospects o f the Kadota Fi g

K a cl o ta M a y be C a p r i fi e d
Comparison with F oreign F igs
B asket Used fo r Picking ( I llustration )

" se o f M issions on B orders
T he Smyrna
The A driatic
Standard Shipping B ox ( I llustration )
D escriptio n o f Kadota F ruit

D escription o f Tree d Its H abits
an
How to Plant s . Ii “
f
or "
”
Cl ark M ethod o f Laying O ff Tract fo r Planting

Fro z e n N urse r y Stoc k
,
Fi g Pointers in G eneral
A Canner s O pinion o f
’
the Kadota
T he Fi g Tree b y , J C F o r kne r
. .
ri
Copy g h t 1 9 3 9 , W. 8 a m C l a r k
Fr onti s p i e c e
S tephen H . T a ft , D i s c o v ere r of th e K do t F i g
a a
The Ka d o t a Fi g
I n presenting this lit tle book on the Kadota F ig to my friends and
patrons I do so with a full recogn ition that so swi ftly are we advancing in all
,
branches o f horticulture and disposition o f our p r o duc ts tha t a writer on the ,

.
‘
subj ect may produce somethin g th at is hopelessly antiquated al most before it

leaves the press .
I t is only the entire absence o f anything printed regarding this ho r tic ul

tural marvel developed in l ate years that pro mpts me to put out this regard
, ,
ing the Kadota F ig .
I n going back into the history o f human progress I cannot help but be ,
impressed with the equilibrium or c o advancement o f human and horticultural

-
achievements E ach stage o f human advance witnessed a corresponding a d

.
vance in the fruits and grains o f that age .
The personality o f the human race is reflected in the products o f the

earth directl y or indirectl y as a resul t o f their mental attainments F rom
—
.
,
earl iest humanity to the present from the Tropics to the A rctics flora and
, ,
faun a are c o existent and make c o advancement

-
.
I s it imaginary on my part to attribute to th e fig the fruit nearest and ,
dearest to mankind since the beginning o f time a kindred nature reflecting

the color and life ha b it o f the race which produced it " Can we not see
, ,
away back in the haze and dimness o f antiq uity a sympathetic likeness b e ,
twe e n the earliest man i mperfect and erring and the fi g o f that time a wild
, , , ,
fi erce thing scarcely recognizabl e at present as the foreb ear of the j oyous
fr uits we now produce "
,
I s not the Smyrna fig a product o f O riental advancement an exact r e

production o f the people who propagated it " A re they not secretive and
, ,
evasive utterly depraved on one side o f their nature and human perfection and
k indness on the o ther " F air o f sk i n an obj ect o f beauty are their females
, ,
in youth and fading in early age yet a race existing for centuries regardless
o f vicissitudes " I s not the Smyrna fi g an exact counterpart o f their progress
, ,
and their lives " A thing o f beauty and a j oy unsurp assed i s the ripened ,
perfect fruit yet secretive a nd a usel ess deplorabl e thing unless by the i m
, , ,
pl anting o f an outside influence in the form o f the wasp which brings per ,
f e c ti o n to the fruit only as does the winged spirit o f Christianity carrying the
, ,
pollen o f kindness an invisible leaven makes more perfect the nature o f the
,
race who produced this fruit " Long lived and tenacious o f existence neither
,
-
,
is fit for our a ss ociation unless by the in fusion o f outside elements invisible a l ,
most but e ffective A re not the people and this fruit twin products o f their
.
time and age "

,
I s not the A driatic fig also a reflection o f the peoples who associate their
existence with the fi g be aring the name o f the region whence they spring "
A hardy mountain peopl e who have struggled and lived for ages in a dv e r
, ,
s i ty
, and who maintain an existence by sheer tenacity o f spirit yet whose i m ,
~
per fect human productions will liken achievements to this fi g which so closely
m
rese bl e s the mi e ve v Wa y D oes not this fig thrive i n adversity regard
in f r
r , .
less o f o u tside ass i stance or abuse and will it not produce an abundance o f
,
f r uit poor and imperfect to be sure not true at heart i n all cases yet a splen
, , ,
did prod uct is obtained when transplanted to proper soil and under correct ,
conditions and yielding readily to the influences o f the wasp which we may
, ,
liken unto the pollen o f c iv i l i z a t1o n which that race o f people so hungrily
long for and respond to when given "
,
A re the people o f that l and and this fruit of those people not twins fair o f
face and color typical in life and spirit " E ach im p erfect yet swi ftly r e
,
sp o nd i ng to bettermen t when correctly applied " I t strikes me so

,
Was it not the M oor strong and sturdy dark of skin and warm o f heart
, , ,
that transpl anted from the shores o f Tripoli to the hills o f ancient Spain a ,
dark skinned fig each a conqueror in its own way winning the l and and
-
the love o f the people "

, ,
I n a fter centuries w a s it not the dark skinned Padres o f old Spain whose
,
-
indomitable spirit and loving kindly ways bl azed the Christian trails into
our western l ands bringing com fort and spiritual cheer and impl anting with
,
their blessings this same old fig in the sun kissed lands o f California " D oes
,
not this fig image an exact reproduction o f these patient and blessed men
who gave this fig and their lives to us " D oes it not furnish p hysic al sha de ‘
'
and protection temporal food and spiritual inspiration and l asting bl essings "
,
A re its fruits not sweet a nd pure dark in color yet never faili ng in time and
,
season " A re not these fruits like the silent Padres o f old ever welcome in
,
humblest home to lordly mansion ,bringing pe ace and consolation to us all "
,
A re they not almost one "

,
Now comes the Kadota a product o f our l and and time A lmost with
, .
meteoric s peed and splendor from out our western skies comes thi s fair faced
,
-
visitor like gracious maiden through parted curtains a vision o f beauty and
, ,
a j oy.
Springing from the soils o f our thrice blessed l and comes the p r o duc t o f'
our century I ts golden fru 1i nuggl ing in velvet foliage o f dee p dark green
.
c
,
comes like the vision through parted portieres With a speed and swi ftness . ,
like our l ives and actions comes this child o f our dreams
, How very like .
our people is this tree and its fruit I mpatient o f all del ay it brushes aside .
al l granted prerogatives of its cousins o f old ; from babyhood it yields its

products with an assurance and a certainty o f the precocious child that it is .
I ts swi ftness and marvels o f achievement exactly mirror our age and time
its generosity and fair play i mage the men of our w e stern empire while its ,
sweetness and tenderness are the spirit o f our women sway i ng to every i m ,
pulse for betterment and improvement yet always true and stead fast wherever ,
pl aced by fortune or conditions .
I t meet s our every demand for speed and certainty I n our r ace against .
t i me we ne ver lose sight o f fair pl ay and j ustice A per fect prod uct for a .
given stipend is motto alike for man and fig and in its travels imprisoned in , ,
walls o f gl a ss it carrie s visions of golden sunrise fanned by gentle zep hyrs

, ,
l aden with scent o f blooming fields and gardens .
O r wrapped in waxen paper the freshly gathered fruit o f golden rad i

, ,
ance we send like graceful carrier pigeon bearing a message to our E astern ,
cities from these l ands o f mu sic and pleasure of sunsh i ne and plenty be s i de
, , ,
our Sun set Sea .

T H E KA D O TA F I G 3
This fig true product o f our land and spirit o f o d r peopl e brings us

, ,
fame and honor while radiating pure j oy and pleasure

, .
Vibrating from its very heart are the impulses of the Cali fornian ; scat
tering with prodigality and western abandonment its harvest o f luscious fruits
and ful filled promises .
Di s c o v e ry
The honor and credit for the discovery o f the remarkable fig now known
as the Kadot a belongs exclusively to that w ise old horticulturist the l ate ,
Stephen H Taft o f Sawtelle a member o f the Centenary Club o f Southern

. , ,
California .
When nearing the brave old age o f five score years he crossed over the
s unset sea leaving behind him a horticultural triumph whose magnitude and
,
value were but faintly appreciated even by himsel f .
A s the pl anted acres o f this fig are l eaping from hundreds into thousands ,
and demand outstrips al l possibl e production even now only then does the ,
true worth of this fig appear and the magnitude o f the discovery become a p
p arent to those interested in this branch o f horticulture .
The original tree o f this variety then a stranger discovered and named , ,
by M r Taft and afterward distributed first appeared in an orchard grown

.
,
by M r Cyrus Way o f Whittier from cuttings furnished by M r Theo

.
, . .
Hockett from his orchard o f D o tta l os which in turn was an orchard grown
from cuttings imported from E urope in l 88 7 by M r " Thompson o f O r
, ,
. .
,
ange County Cali fornia , .
I n the orchard grown by M r Way was one only tree o f most remarkabl e
.
vigor growth and early production and in every way superior to the bal
, , ,
ance o f the orc h ard surrounding it The discriminating j udgment o f M r

. .
Ta ft immediately recognized in this stranger the very qualities and virtues so

long sought by all progressive fig growers the world over
—
Whether it b e an off shoot a sport or a freak o f nature matters but
, ,
.
little to us now and its remarkable achievements in the few short years of its
,
exi stence has astounded the fig growers of central Cali fornia and it now stands ,
at the very head of all figs o f its cl ass and h as indeed created a branch o f ,
the fig industry all its own .
Intr o du c ti o n
I t is perhaps true that no fruit ever grown has so surely and so swi ftly
leaped into fame and found a pl ace for itsel f in the thoughts and the acres
o f the progressive and discriminating orchardists o f Cali fornia .
The advent o f this fig has revolutionized the planting and pruning o f fig

orchards I t has created a new industry—the canning o f fresh figs as other
.
fruits are canned I t has already cau sed the install ation o f canning estab
.
l i shme nts in several o f our interior cities and more are in the formative stage
, ,
.
Coast cities had first canned our crops I t has created a new department o f
—
.
l abor the sk ill e d p ic k ing o f fresh figs

'
This fig h as upset all the established rule s for irrigation o f fig orchards .
I t has created a confidence in the fig industry not previously enj oyed by the
4 T H E KA D O TA F I G
older v a r i e t1e s because o f 1ts early b e a n ng tremendous tonnage c e r ta rnty o f
0 o o
0
, , ,
crops and unprecedented demand for its products and unparalleled cash re
,
turns enj oyed by the planters who grow this variety occasioned by the many ,
uses to which this fruit is now put .
A ll this and more has bee n achieved by this fig in the three short years
since we had the honor and the pleasure o f introducing it to the fig growers
o f Cali fornia a ssembled in F resno J anuary 19 1 7 on the occasion o f the
, , , ,
first F ig C rowers I nstitute held at t h at time

’
Relative ly but little was .
known be fore that date regarding this fig its uses and virtues and the , ,
publ i city given it on th at occasion was all that was needed to cause it to leap
into the limelight and occupy th e unique position it now holds .
Di s tri b uti o n
A fter M r Ta ft had given his new fi g a rigid tryout in its many uses he
.
,
'
began the p r op a ga ting a nd distribution o f this variety and in l 9 l 3 I secured ,
from him the rootings which constitute my original orchard now six years o f ,
age H e was at that time a man somewhere in the nineties

. His age and .
limited acreage made it slow and difficul t for him to distribute very widely
h is discovery .
I had had considerable correspondence wit h him and was deeply i m

pressed by his enthusiasm foresight and absolute honesty and fully a pp r e
, , ,
c i a te d the loss to the industry occasioned by his decease which left no one ,
in particular to champion the cause o f his fi g So in a timid and halting man .
'
ner I a tte mp te d to carry on the work he was forced to drop I soon disc ov .
ered th at others were impressed very favorably with this fig and my first nur
sery proved all too sm all to meet the growing demand and from my first ven ,
ture to the present time we have never been abl e to supply even 5 0 per cent o f .
the rootings desired by intending pl anters and whil e each year I increase my ,
nursery to the greates t possible extent I still fall far short o f demands The .
saddes t feature o f this shortage o f genuine stock lies in the opportunity i t gives
to the distribution o f spurious stock secured from orchards of the ol d White
,
” " " “ "
End ic h , California White and White Pacific al l collectively sold as ,
Kadota or Littl e Ka do ta s These older varieties ha ve lon g been known in

.
Cali fornia and cl assed as unprofitable figs B ut i n general appearance they .
so closely resemble the genuine Kadota that unwittingly pl anters are accepting
this stuff and only when too l ate will they discover their error and two r e
, ,
s ul ts are absolutely certain .
F irst they will grow a smal ler tree and a smaller poorer fru i t ; and
, , ,
secondly the name and reputation o f Kadota is sure to suffer as these planter s
,
in per fec t faith and honesty will condemn this fi g na tur a l l y thinking they are h
growin g the genuine which in their orchards is falling far short o f th e many
,
virtues cl aimed for the genuine and really enj oyed by those fortunate enough
,
to have secured true stock So with al l the emphasis at my command I warn

.
all planters to be a bs ol u te ly s ur e they s e c ur e r oo tings of dire c t l ine a ge to tha t

one only tr e e f r om whic h S te p he n H Ta f t na me d a nd s e c ur e d his origina l
, .
c u ttings There was no such a fig as the Kadota previous to that time how
.
,
ever much nurserymen claim to the contrary .
In my immediate vicinity there is an orchard o f sixteen acres one hal f o f ,

-
which is Endic h the other hal f Kadota and any one may stand hal f a m 1le
, ,
THE KA D O TA FI G 5
0
away and i nstantly see the difference and recognize the v ery row o f trees
where the two varieties meet A nursery is now growing from cuttings taken .
from that orchard and the J apanese who will sell the rootings will sell
,
“
Ka do ta s next pl anting season H e neither knows o f nor cares anything for .
the Ta ft variety but the demand will sell his 5 0 5 0 stock and many or
,
-
c ha r di sts may hereafter have years o f regrets .
So few are the years since the adven t o f this fig and so few are the . ,
"
genuine nur se r i e s tha t a ny pl anter may easily prove th e origin o f his root
, ,
ings .A law protects a pl anter in this state against the purchase o f stoc k
afterwards proving to be not true to name B ut that j oke causes a nursery .
m an within seven years to refund to the pl anter the p ur c ha se pr ic e o f his

rootings Wouldn t that make you smile " A fter seven years you find you
" , ,
’
were buncoed and then get back the 2 5 cents per tree you perhaps p a i d for
the f a lse rooting "
,
Pl a nting C u lti v a ting , an d —

Irri g a ti o n S o i l s
Kadota figs are now growing in all soils and beside every other variety
o f fig grown in Cali fornia and while some soils are most assuredly superior ,
to others for the production o f figs this fig has demonstrated that nothing ,
special in soils or treatment is req uired to make it out grow and out bear in - ~
tonnage any other fi g with which it may associate .
A ll figs should avoid pure sandy soil ; sel ect something heavier and use
sandy soils for something else My home orchard is pl anted in heavy adobe .
and dry bog Loams are in my j udgment most superior for grow i n g figs and
-
.
, , ,
soils under laid with hard pan which may be bl asted may in the long run prove
- -
, ,
still better th an loams The breaking up o f hard pan liberates the elements
.
-
so essential for the production o f a superior q uality o f fruit .
—
Lime is pre eminently a requisite for heavy meaty rich figs and all
-
hard pans are heavily impregnated with lime and more or less so with potash ,
, , ,
s ulphur and iron al l o f which go to make a soil favorabl e for fig production

, .
A deficiency o f lime in any soil wil l cause a fruit to be produced that dries .
into a hollow shell o f seeds and little meat W e have all seen that kind o f .
—
dried fruit .
A ir and water will cause hard pan to disintegrate thus liberating these ,
-
above named values The tree itsel f may flourish in any soil deficient in lime
. ,
potash sul phur and iron yet the product o f the tree will be poor A gain
, , . ,
hard pan l and when blasted conserves moisture below the pan as summer
-
,
heat cannot evaporate the moistures invariably f ound beneath and the tree ,
will eventually push its roots downward and l aterally thus securing required ,
moisture at all seasons .
Pl a nting
Regardless o f the price o f powder bl asting o f locations for fi g tree pl ant ,
~
ing should invariably be practiced F irst a deeper bigger better hole is . , , ,
thus secured ; filling the hol e with aerated soil from the surface insures strong ,
vigorous growth for three years on the part o f the newl y pl anted tree Second .
l y the hole acts as a reservoir for the i rrigation or rain which shoul d follow
,
the pl anting and the cracks caused by the blast radiating l aterally l n al l d i
,
6 T H E KA D OTA F I G
rections permits roots a freedom of spread not enj oyed by a tree planted in a
dug hol e whose sides are by pressure o f the spade tightly sealed ag ainst the
,
tiny r ootlets B l asted holes should invariably be fil led and settl ed with water
.
before tree is pl anted .
A s fig rootings are the most delicate o f all the trees pl anted in Cali fornia ,
the greatest care possibl e should be exercised i n their handling F rom the .
nursery to the tree hole al l speed and care shoul d be employed The rootings .
should never even for sixty seconds be exposed to hot air or wind Spotted .
fig orchards everywhere emphasize this caution and advertise the fact that
some one either in ignorance o r carel essness or both betw een th e nursery dig
, ,
ging and the pl anting failed to heed th ese wel l known warnings So learn .
,
your nurse ryma n s habits be fore you secure your stock o f rootings A fig tree
’
that has been well handled and well planted is worth one dollar more than cost ,
the moment the roots are covered A new fi g orchard one year ol d and 1 00
“
per cent stand should be worth 35 l

. per acre more than the l and was one
year be fore So use all care and caution in handling your rootings
. .
Pl ant your root i ngs 4 i nches deeper than they grow in the nursery settle ,
the dirt with water a b out the roo ts and i f you are pl antin g Ka do ta s then cut
, ,
away all the tree 1 0 or l 2 inches above the groun d .
F irst this cutting away bal ances the top with the l acerated and reduced
,
root system occasioned by the removal o f the rooting from the nursery bed .
Second a Kadota is a fruit which derives its greates t profit by selling as

fr e sh figs and must be picked fro mthe tree and a tall tree is a very expensive
,
, ,
tree to pick ,and l adders should be as low as possible to increase profit in

handling the fruit .
Hence crown your Kadota at or near the ground induce a wide spread
, ,
i ng tree by top pruning and shade ground and trunk from frost and sun and ,
doubl e the tonnage o f your f r uit over any and all fig trees p r uned by the old
obsolete methods so much in vogue in Cali fornia F orget the till age under .
D on t attempt to plow either deeply in a fig orchard or near to

’
your tree .
the tr e e The roots that make the tree are d e ep and out o f reach o f th e
.
plow The fruit rootlets are almost invisibl e delicate and near the sur face
.
,
.
Plowing over 6 inches deep wil l probably destroy or reduce your crop D eep .
plowing may perhaps be practiced i f from the first year planted it is always
done and roots always kept deeply down .
The grass under your tree may be removed with a hoe You grow an .
orchard for profit not to satis fy a vanity un fortunately found in many growers
,
r e ga r dmg the appearance o f their orchards .
Irri g a ti o n
I f you are growing a Kadota orchard kee p in mind these facts "A Kadota
,
orchard in fu l l bearing must mature a crop months each season and a ,
tonnage practically three times that o f any other fig orchard Hence your .
soil must either possess or be given more water than the soil of another orch a rd
to assist the tree in ful filling her obligations .
A nother thing "Remember you cannot in any manner shape or form in

, ,
"ure the tree or the fruit with an exces s o f water at any stage o f the f r urtmg
season So apply the water be fore and between crops increase the g rowth
.
,
o f your tree , an d e f ne w gr o wth on e v e ry tirit h br ings a ne w l e a f

v e ry i nc h o .
a nd e v e ry l e a f o n ne w woo d ha r b or s a fi g whi c h wi l l r ip e n tha t s e a s on "s o
f o r c e the s iz e a nd gr o wth of yo ur tr e e s whe ne v e r p oss i b l e .
A ll soils do not require the irrigation I give to my land and each planter ,
can use j udgment according to his conditions I n the growing season the .
terminal bud should be kept un folding into a new lea f When that opera .
tion ceases water is needed

, .
I n my orchard o f adobe land I irrigate l ate in A pril or twice in M ay and , ,
twice in July after the June crop is gathered and again between crops in ,
A ugust and September i f time permits I force the growth and tonnage . .
Pruning
B y cutting back a newly pl anted fig tree to 1 0 or 1 2 inches from the
ground you induce a low dense growth near the ground that as the tree ages , ,
permits o f an easy and cheap method o f gathering the fruit as above stated and ,
you also cause the trunk or body o f the tree to be at all times protected from
the elements both winter and summer and you also provide a dense shade
, ,
conserving the moisture inherently in the soil or added by irrigation A l l varie .
ties o f figs are improved by this method of pruning and invariably a heavier ,
tonnage o f fruit is thus secured .
F or gathering figs ri p ened on the tree and fallen the extremely l ow ,
branches may be removed to permit the small boy to rustl e about under the
b ranches . B ut always bear in mind that our improving system o f growing
orchards is getting us each year farther away from the old California system
o f driving a six horse team under the branches o f our trees and we a r e also
-
,
learning that intensive cultivation immediately under a fi g tree is not essential

to growth or fruit .
The best bearing old fig tree we know anything o f is one in door yard -
,
fence corner or on ditch bank where horse teams or tractors never go

, , .
The time is rapidly coming when all varieties o f figs desired for drying .
will be picked fresh from the tree dehydrated and otherwise handled in a , ,
manner to cause Cali fornia dried figs to become famed the world over That .
desired end will not be accomplished with our present methods I n conn e ction .
with that future prospect the pruning o f all varieties o f figs must be practiced
along the lines now accepted as the correct method for pruning the Kadota .
A fter pl anting cut tree back to 10 or 12 inches ,

.
The second season shorten all growth to 1 6 or 18 inches and cut center
out Th i rd season shorten all growths to 1 2 or 1 8 inche s
.
.
The fourth season the growth o f many branches should be cut back to
1 6 or 1 8 inches as in previous seasons with this difference "You are now
, ,
expecting to gather a considerable tonnage of fruit and the branches which ,
have not made a growth to exceed 2 0 or 2 2 inches should not b e disturbed

this season but should be permitted to remain to give you your June crop ,
and may be shortened next season to proper length and the greater growths ,
on the tree should all be cut away to within 1 6 or 1 8 inches o f their union
with parent branch I n branching they will give you crops l ater in the season
. .
I n the season to follow as the tree increases in size and age leave all
, ,
short growths for June fru i t and unless you can cut away at least 6 inches
, ,
a nd reta 1 n req u i red length o f stub do not cut Small slender growths may
, .
T H E KA D O T A F I G
"ppe r V i ew —
—
K dota a monthFi g
, 10 s a fter pl n t ing c rre c t ly p uned
a , o r .
L ower V iew K dot F i g 2 2 month

a a , s a fter pl nt i ng ; 4 f t l th ind i c te
a a a s s p re d
a
of b r nche c orr c t ly pruned

,
a s ,
e .
T H E KA D OTA F I G
be retained as fruit producers and shortened or remo ved another season for ’
,
you will always have plenty o f cutting to do on sturdy growths .
A lways keep the center of your tree open The bigger the tree the .
greater the opening should be A crop will ripen in the center of an open
.
tree and none to mention in a j ungl e

, .
Keep your trees low Remove al l upper branches that are out of easy
.
reach o f a p ic k e r standing on a 4 foot l adder or within reach o f picker stand

' -
,
in g in the center o f your tree ,

.
Remove branches that grow into the ground Cause your tree by prun i ng .
to have 1ts greatest circumf erence at a point within reach o f a picker of
K a rl o t a
e s s
Fig — h rd pruning
T i mont fter pl nting
enti l for econ omy i n g thering fre h fruit
a
, 34 bu h effe c t
h s
b ing obt ined by c or
a
a
s
a
is
.
e
Th e
“
a
s ”
, s o
rect p uning r .
,
average height standing on the ground ; curving inward and downward to

ward the trunk that lower branches may not grow to such an extent as to i m
,
pede picking when a l adder i s used and upper branches must be reached , .
Study your tree ; do not hesitate to remove a big branch to induce new
'
growths to take its place when it has outgrown its usefulness and always ,
k eep your trees low Reducing height o f tree eliminates the use o f ladders to
.
a great degree and reduces co s t o f g athering fresh fruit be it Smyrna M is , ,
s i c n or Kadota .
Summer pruning by pinching o ff terminal bud is not good p ractice ; a cluster

o f limbs wi ll spring out where the bud is pinched ; cut away 6 or 8 inches or
more and l mbs will come distributed along back on the parent stock
i
, , .
10 T H E KA D O T A F I G
T hi s me tr ee 6 month fter pruning O m y re dily

s a s a t he d v nt ge ne a a s e e a a a s
obt i ned by correct pruning c ontr te d with my older tree
.
,
a , a s a s s .
The old obsolete pruning o f fig trees is merely a follow up o f pruning sys -
tems employed in N ew E ngland and other sections where a fruiting tree was ,
not a tree unl ess it was pruned up high enough to d rive a horse and tall ,
harness hames under the lowest branches a nd no t knock the apples off
‘
-
.
A fig orchard should not be a n o rc ha r d at all in the acceptance o f the

'
“ " “
term I t should be a F ig G a r de n and the trees should be bushes as they
. ,
are on the I sl and o f Capri .
This past summer several o f my year old figs measured 1 00 feet c i r

c um f e r e nc e of the branches The bearing sur face was immense O thers were
. .
7 5 to 9 0 feet .
Closer planting severe pruning and smal ler bushes and more tonnage per
, ,
acre will be the practices in the near future o f a ll varieties o f figs

, .
Th e pruning o f a Kadota orchard is the most essential as wel l as most

delicate task we have The limb o f a Kadota tree produces fruit for 1 8
.
months and thereafter is a loa fer in the tree except at the extreme tips or
, , ,
becomes the medium for the production o f other limbs that will bear fruit .
Conseq uently I practice the removal or shortening o f al l limbs past the

producing age Cut a limb 1 8 inches from its j unction with its parent and it
.
in turn becomes a parent for 3 or 5 newer limbs all new wood and c o nse .
quently producers o f fruit the season following pruning They get to work .
r i ght no w
’
They don t wait a year and then get busy

. .
‘
11
Ka do ta s produce an abundance o f seasonal of 3 to 7 feet in gr owih

length I f not cut back next pruning season your trees will soon be full of
.
long fishing pole s and while your June crop wil l be reduced by shortening
back these long growths to 1 6 or 1 8 inches the multitude o f newer wood ,
resulting from the pruning vastly o ver pays the losses occasioned by cutting -
,
and your tree is shaped better and a greater pe rcentage o f your fruit is
s ecured without the use o f l adders .
I n my orchard I f ound i t c o st 4 3 per cent mor e to gather a given tonnage

o f fruit by using l adders than the same tonnage gathered by standing on the
gr o und .
F urthermore a Kadota tree should be kept pruned out in the center to

,
permit sun and air to enter that a crop may be gathered fro m the ins ide
,
circumference o f the tree as well as the o u ts id e circumference

Conduct your pruning along these lines and 1nc r e a se your tonnage very
considerably .
E veryone has observed fig trees grown dense in the center tall slender ,
limbs pushing up to the light and air at the extreme top o f the tree and fruit
ing only at that point entirely out o f reach o f a picker
, .
Remember a fi g tree produces only on the tip ends and on new wood
, , ,
and axiomatically your tonnage will increase with increasing new tips and
q uantity o f new wood and the greater the outside di am eter o f your tree the
,
greater the tonnage you will gather O bserve photos herewith presented .
showing trees six years o f age measuring over 1 00 feet in outside circumfer
ence o f the branches .
K dot F ig tree
a a ye r f t er pl nting O b er v e the long lender non
a s a a s s
be ring limb in t hi tree "nwi e prun i ng i n fi r t d e c ond ye r per
.
, ,
a s s s s a n s a s
m i t t d t hi co ndit ion
.
e s .
and measure some 1 5 year old S my rrT
Co a s or M issions and find an equal
- -
measurement and then observe methods o f pruning practiced in the past and ,
you will readily see where the crowning of any fig tree three feet or so from
the ground has caused the owner yearly l osses which could and should have
been prevented N o tall tree can possibly have the bearing surface o f one
.
crowned near the ground .
Sa me ye r old t ree f t er pruning O b er v e t h l ength of bru

a a s e s h r e o v ed ;
m
ted tree energy due to imperfect e rly prun ing
, .
w a s a .
G a t he ring P a c k ing , a n d S h ipping
When a Kadota fig orchard reaches a bearing age it produces crops for ,
months each season The first crop begins to ripen on or before June 18
.
with us and one season ripened the first week in J une

, .
The fruit should be gathered whil e firm yet fully matured and full ,
u ga r e d I f it is good to eat off the tree it is ready for shipment O therwise

. .
don t pick it as it never puts on any sugar after being picked

, .
The June crop is not as good for E astern shipment as subsequent crop s ,
as it is more watery .
A fter experimenting for four sea sons on a basket to pick with we decided
upon a light galvanized oblong ' receptacl e w e 1ghing 3 pounds and one that ,
will l a st for many years T he b a s ke t is 3 % inches deep 1 4 inches wide

. ,
and 1 inches l ong With A inch iron bal e with hook attached to center o f
8 1
, ,
bal e to hook o ri l imb o f tree or on ladder E ach picker carries two baskets
h
.
,
into the orchard and when full uses a yoke to carry to packing shed E ach .
basket when ful l contains 1 8 to 2 0 pounds net .

T H E KA D O TA F I G
We prefer 3 legged l adders not to exceed 4 feet in height for picking

-
, , .
With experience will come care in the handling o f the fruit We brea k .
the fig from the limb by b ending it in the opposite way fro m which it grows
, .
Cotton gloves are used a fter two or three days as the mil k o f the stem wil i,
cut the fingers Keep gloves well washed Scour baskets every night
. . .
N ever pinch or sq ueeze a fig but j udge by color what to gather H andle .
with extreme care Pick but one fig at a time and pl ace carefull y 1n the
.
b a s ket
.
Pick each tr e e every other day or every third day and gather al l ripened
fruit every picking and keep trees c l e a n .
Pi c k ing
I n my June and A ugust crops this season ( 19 1 9 ) my pickers averaged
around 4 00 pounds daily to each man yet 7 00 pounds were often gathered
,
by one picker M y trees are 6 years past in age and by heavy pruning for
.
,
several seasons I have gotten them Il l fair shape for gathering and have m ,
a measure overcome the origin a l mistake o f high pruning o f tree when first
planted .
When my pickers come to the packing shed with a load o f fruit , they
weigh up their bas k ets chalk on the chart their weight o f fruit and each
, , nigh t
the tonnage gathered is reckoned up and each picker c r e di te d w i th his ‘
ind i
vidual tonnage and as I paid pickers by the hour and also a bonus o f
, cent
A nothe r ye r ol d K dot not properly prun ed fi r t th ee ye r

a a a T s r a s a k e
note of the w ted energy in the prun ing d poor h pe of tree till
, .
a s a n s a s .
K dot F ig
a a s . P l nted
a M a rch , 19 13 . P hotogr phed a D e c . 4, 19 17
per pound for all he picked everything worked smoothly and careless pickers
,
were weeded out and best me n retained .
P a c k ing
required t o pack successfully for E astern shipments in r e
Exp e r i e nc e is
f r i ge r a to r cars with grapes or other fresh fruits .
Place figs in a iry part o f car far removed from the ice They mold .
b adly i f on or again s t ice Circul ating air is preserving medium for fresh
.
figs in transit .
I n packing shed girl s should use ca r e in handling figs O nce picked up

-
. ,
each fig should be placed immediately in box either for local cannery or ,
more sel ect fruit for the E astern shipments .
The standard box view sho wn on page 3 2 is used for one l ayer fru i t of
larger sizes I t contains 8 to 1 0 pounds net according to size o f figs us ed
.
,
.
A l ayer of waxed paper is plac ed under and over the fruit F ive o f these .
boxes are covered and crated together when ready for refrigerator car .
The less classy figs o f every other size are pl aced in deeper boxes withou t
regard and delivered to your canner by express or by auto truck with auxiliar y
, ,
springs attached to fal e bottom of truck to minimize the j ar a nd fret in

s
transpo rtati o n Th is false bottom 15 light and removabl e from truck and is
.
a wonder in saving the fruit The canners separate sizes according to their
.
requirements A l l soft and over ripe figs are cl assed as seconds and are
.
-
packed for cannery in separate lug boxes and l abeled as such and bring about
o ne h al f
-
the price o f the solid figs The girl s bec o me expert in the .
selection o f the three grades o f figs and i f they are careless they should be ,
K dot F ig
a a , ye ra s a ft er pl n t ing a
repl aced by others who use their heads all the time The fruit is too va luabl e .
and the growing industry too great to be inj ured in any manner by heedless
p ickers and packers .
Carefully dry all figs too ripe for the canners .
Ea s t e rn S h i pping
I n shipping our figs to E astern markets we usually place from one to five
,
packages o f 5 boxe s each in the sq ueeze or brace o f the car where air ,
c i r c u l a te s f r e e l y and far removed from the ice I f the car is

. in motion al l the
fl
time the figs will stand 1 2 or 1 4 days shipment and have sold for fancy prices
1 7 days after being picked . Ten days is standard time to average E astern
de stination . D uring the war the congested railroad traffic caused the fruit
trains to stand stil l at times and the moisture l aden air o f the cars caused the
-
figs to mold Permit me to q uote Pro f I J Condit l ate horticultural e x

. . . . ,
pert o f the University o f Cali fornia now on the J C F o r kne r F ig G arden

, . .
'
s taff at F resno . H e p l a c e d my figs in refrigeration l ast season m tempera
tures o f varying degrees up to the freezing po int and i f my memory serves ,
me right he kept the figs not to exceed 7 d a ys without molding at the most
favorable degree and others a lesser time H ad he possessed a refrigerator
.
containing a fan and circul ated the air I believe he could have kept the fruit
,
much longer Probably 10 or 1 5 or 2 0 days even

.
.
16 T H E KA D O T A IG
M y figs have been transported to E astern Canada as well as to all E ast ,
ern seaboard cities and have sold for prices ranging from 2 0 cents to 5 0
,
cents per pound and were transported in ordinary iced cars consuming 10 to
, ,
1 6 days in transit Hence my deduction regarding circul ation o f air

. .
N ew York B oston and Pittsburg l n the E ast and St Louis 1n the West
, , .
,
have proven my best markets while Chicago has invariably been my poore st
, .
I am in formed that our figs are retailed at 1 0 and 1 5 cents each and are
eaten out o f h an d by the consumer in these E astern markets and the average ,
person gets b ut a couple o f figs fresh per season The market is a b so .

~
l ute l y undeveloped and entirely unlimited and we in Cali fornia will never
,
be able to supply the E astern demand for our fresh article even when the ,
welcome day arrives when we Kadota growers can load a full car o f figs ,
after effecting an organization o f Kadota fig growers and shippers and launch ,
a campaign o f education in the E ast and forward our own fruit to our own
selling agency and distributor A fter we have done these things I doubt i f
.
,
there be acres o f land 1n Cali forni a capable o f bearing sufficient figs to pro
duce a supply that wil l satis fy local canners and an educated consuming
public 1n the E ast The prices will always be good and demand 1nc r e a sing
.
and prospects positively startling .
With our fresh fig industry only j ust born yet so great is the demand by
,
the consuming public both E ast and West for fresh fi g products that we can
, , ,
not now and perhaps not for 2 5 years to come can we plant fast enough nor
K dot F ig
a a , ye r
a s a f t er pl nt i ng
a
TH E KA D O TA FI G 17
acres enough to cause supply and demand to bal ance in that one branc h alone
with only three short years to our credit we have now two San F rancisco can
ners buying our fruit one in San Jose one j ust established in the F or kne r F ig
, ,
G ardens F resno to handle Ka dota s one exclusively for Ka do ta s at Reedley

, , , ,
one San F rancisco firm located a one unit cannery this season in a Kadota -
orchard at Porte r ville one at A rmona which cannery alone is asking for ten
, ,
times the Kadota tonnage now in existence and one proj ected for D inuba , ,
and another in Stanisla us county I can safely predict that wherever 1 00

.
acres or mor e of Ka dota s are in bearing another cannery wil l be established

or as in Portervill e a branch unit will be started by some firm operating
, ,
elsewhere .
I n gl ass j ars so wonder fully attractive is the fruit that it commands imme
diate sale almost regardless o f price and when eaten so exception ally delicious
, ,
’
the fl avor as to mortgage a consumer s pocketbook for li fe .
C a nning
The canning o f fresh figs deserves a chapter all to 1tse l f ; space does not
'
permit me to so digress however , .
The marketing of ripe figs in glass and tin as preserved j ammed spiced , , ,
marmal ade candy paste cake filler and other uses has been practiced for
, , , ,
some years by canners in Texas and Louisian a where the drying o f figs was ,
i mpractical due to climatic conditions They there used a fig known as M ag

, .
K dot F ig
a a ye r ft er pl nting H e v ily i rri g t d r t three ye r
a s a a a a e fi s a s 90
fee t c ir c umferen c e of be ri ng urf c e
. .
,
a s a .
18 THE K A D O T A FI G
nolia which when compared with a Kadota is a vastly in ferior product Yet a
, .
ready sal e and increasing demand has always consumed their production .
I mmediately canning o f the Kadota began the trade clamored for that
be auti ful and most truly delicious article and today only three y e a r s sinc e ,
the fir s t Kadota was preserved in gl ass a trade has become e zt a b l i she d that
"
,
ab sorbs immediately every a r processed and orders pl aced for ten times the
capacity o f orchard supplies We are totally unabl e to supply the demand at
.
present o f even the few canners preserving our products .
Whil e the E astern markets pay splendid prices for our fresh Ka dota s yet ,
so insistent is the demand from preserving pl ants that this past season ( 1 9 19 ) I
never shipped even one box E ast Canners got them all ; canners take all
sizes and utilize every pound produced firm or over ripe and every evening the
’
.
,
— ,
day s pick is delivered to the preserv in g pl ant in perfect condition there pl aced ,
in j ars ranging in size from 4 figs as individual service j ars to 1 2 figs for ,
family use and larger containers o f tin for j ams and fillers
, .
With a market embracing the whole United States and Canada which is a ,
great consumer o f sweets and also E urope where canning o f figs is not pra e
, ,
ticed extensively the future outlet at fancy prices for our Kadota fig crops is
,
assured .
Ov e r pr o du c ti o n i s an im possib ilty
Peaches are raised and ca nned in every state in the Union and part o f
Canada There is no l ack o f a market at good prices to the grower of peach e s
. .
A pples the same plums also all fruits the same Vegetables are grown and
, , , .
canned everywhere The demand in creases more canneries are being built
.
,
in every state O verproduction seems improbabl e City popul ations are grow
. .
ing rapidly Country production areas slowly

. D emand seems to be out , .
running production o f the N ation B etter financial conditions call for better
.
food products Consumption only awaits production

. .
Therefore with only a limited area in Cali fornia gr o wmg the most de
l i c i o us o f al l fruits the world produces delivering to consumer in a package ,
s anitary and l asting a delight to eye a nd pal ate we in confidence may pl ant
, ,
to our greates t extent this superb fruit fearing no competition fearing no crop , ,
failure knowing that from pl anting the tree until crop harvesting we wait but
,
three short years ; our golden future is certainly spanned by a r ainbow of

sp l e nd1d promise .
Pri c e s F r e s h
, an d Dr y
I planted my orchard in 19 13 I n 1 9 1 5 I packed my ripe figs in one .
l ayer boxes and shipped to Los A ngeles and San F rancisco I soon found .
the Cali fornia consumers o f fresh figs had been soured on white figs They .
perhaps had gotten too o ften A driatics and Sm yr nas that were sour or con ‘
ta i ne d mold and they were skeptical regarding the Kadota which was new to ,
them They demanded the bl ack or blue fig long known to them ; general ly
.
the M ission variety .
I received from 8 to 12 cents per pound but tran sportation truckage and , ,
commission ate up my profits A s my trees were young the fruit was small
.
, ,
they dried poorly and we had not discovered the canning demand at that time .
T H E KA D OTA F I G 19
So the next season 1 9 1 6 in A ugust I tried the Eastern shipment pl an ; it

, , ,
worked beauti fully and I received per box for my first consignment ;
that was an 8 pound box ( net ) M y prices ranged from $ 1 7 5 to
-
per. .
box that sea son and but few were lost .
M y dried figs that season sold at the regul ar A driatic prices then prevail
I n 19 1 7 I was shippin g E ast also but the Pacific Coast Syrup Company
, ,
o f S a n F rancisco had co nt racted to take all my smaller figs at cents f o b . . .
and furnished boxes and transportation .
I n 1 9 1 8 we again contracted with the c a nne r s wi th prices on the June

, , ,
crop at for firm fruit and 4 cents for seconds and the crops fol lowing ,
July l st brought 8 cents per pound or per ton , .
O ur 1 9 19 contracts called for 8 cents per pound for all figs big and little , ,
up to and including July ] st and al l figs delivered thereafter bringing 9 cents

,
per pound which means almost one cent per fig or $ 1 80 00 per ton for our
, , .
fresh fruit Op ening prices 1 9 2 0 are 1 0 cents for per fect fruit
.
, , .
B ecause o f the l ack o f tonnage o f dry Ka do t a s no special featuring o f ,
them has been possible to command a special price because o f the fact that
, ,
they never s our split or mold ; hence we receive regular A driatic prices for
,
such tonnage as we offer for sale .
Drying
The Kadota fig will dry and fall from the tree exactly as do any of the -
other varieties They are not a good dried articl e until the tree is 4 or 5 years
.
o f age and ful l sugar fl avor and sizes are attained by the fruit
, , .
The A ugust and September crop may be c a p r i fi e d exactly as is the

Smyrna and a heavier sweeter full meated fi g filled with big plump fertile
, , , , , ,
seeds is the result

, .
A c a p r ifi e d Kadota when r i p e nl ng fails to take on the beautiful golden

’
col or o f the unc a p r i fi e d fruit and remains until drying a decided green shade ,
which fades away as drying progresses leaving a very white attractive and , ,
deliciou s dried fig .
The University o f C ali fornia has furnished us with an analysis o f our

c a p r i fi e d product and we h ave been enabled to compare these results with
the analysis o f imported Smyrnas finding from 3 to 12 per cent more sugar ,
in the c ali forni a raised Kadota than is found in the imported Smyrna .
I f Ka do ta s ch ance to be raised in remote locations and drying is desired

instead o f fresh s hipping the grower has it coming and going over pl anters
-
,
growing either A driatic or Smyrnas inasmuch as he rai ses a June crop which ,
he may dry and which the other white varieties do not produce and while he ,
cannot capri fy that crop he may fertilize the A ugust and September crops
,
and thereafter until N ovember 1 5 cont i nue to gather and dry additional
tonnage from his Ka do ta s at a season when the Smyrna and A driatic have
cea sed to produce .
I n drying our figs by the present time worn methods we al l over dry -
,
-
them mak i ng tough leathery fruit neither attractive nor palatable as com
-
pared to w
, , , ,
hat we could produce i f we were to advance our methods in fig

producti on as we h ave in all other commodities I long for the day to come
, .
when the dry fi g producers will achieve those commendable results

- .
E ven now we may finish dryin g our fruit in the shade tray on tray or in ,
sheds and by dipping our dried fruit in a 2 or salt solution and then
"
packing them temporarily in receptacl es free from the in festation of the fig

pests we will derive great good D eliver early to the packers that they may
,
.
properly process and carton the fruit For home supplies or for gi fts to distant
.
friends dip dry figs in boiling salt water ( 2 oz sal t to one gallo no f water )
,
.
and immediately whil e heated through and through and still dripping place in
, ,
tins press down lid and seal with wax and the fruit will remain sterilized
, , ,
moist and perfect for years E ven card board wax dipped or empty coffee tins
.
-
,
-
,
are very good .
Under the above caption I ask my readers to permit me a little digression .
F rom earliest childhood I have loved the fig and worshiped the spreading fig ,
tree Location and climatic conditions in my bo yhood home made impossible

.
the success ful growing o f the commercial fig yet distance did not discourage ,
my intima c y with the occasional fig tree pl anted by the early Spanish settlers
’
in my Cali forni a birthplace I knew every tree its actions and production
.
,
for 2 0 miles on every side Their l ack o f care and protec tion hurt me as the
.
suffering o f a little child The balsam like odors o f the old fashioned tree
.
-
,
that filled the soft and balmy summer nights was rarest perfume to me and , ,
no f r uit that grows is hal f so delicate and delicious to my man g rown fancy -
as wa s the o fttimes stolen fruit of those lonesome and neglected fig groups .
I n rocky canyon be side the cl ear cold springs or in valleys near adobe walled , ,
-
home o f Spaniard or F orty miner then stood and yet stand today these monu
-
,
~
ments to our early settlers E ver they bear and ever as sweet as then With
i
. .
sadnes s and sorrow have I sat my littl e mustang pony under the shadows of
Si x ye r ol d K lot
a a r a . P ic k er g thering fre h fruit
a s
T H E KA D OTA FI G 21
n
the first Cali forni a Smyrn a figs grown and opened with j ack kni fe fig after -
fi g and meditated why it was not matured

,
N o one could help me guess .
,
and no wasp was there ; the sweet ol d M ission was ever true and kind to boy
hood appetite The splitting and souring o f A driatic added only another
.
burden then to my struggling imagination why such delicious products o f ,
earth were not perfect .
A s a boy with pockets ever stoc ked with sun dried figs when chance or -
,
season permitted I hav "com e down the years into the fig game proper and
, ,
stil l the longing for a better product holds upper sway in my thoughts Then .
as now I longed for a better fruit

, .
The sun dried fig must go its way There are better and surer methods
-
.
yet to be practiced O nly by organization and c o operation will this desired

.
-
goal be reached .
Littl e is it realized by the fig men o f C ali forn i a that in thei r very midst
i s that force o f mind and money working day and night that will raise to the
very forefron t the fig industry o f Central Cali fornia and pl ace it in years to
come se c ond to none in the wondrous products o f our soil and climate That .
force o f brains genius and irresistible progress is now seen but not recognized
,
in the F o r kne r F ig G ardens Company who slowly p assed the silver wand , ,
tipped with the golden eagl e over the desert acres north o f the city of F resno
, ,
and baby fi g orchards spring into the warming sunshine and far as e ye c a n ,
reach still other gardens come With the maturing o f these wondrous acres
.
will come into existence through the ability brains and money o f those gifted ,
men a k nowl edge of figs not dreamed before and by them methods will be
, ,
employed that will shame our best products o f today and make them seem
crude indeed .
A ccumul ated by that body o f men is knowledge o f the past all the ,
wisdom of the present aspirations for the future and betterment o f this age
,
old but negl ected industry and sure as the passing o f the seasons all fig
"
,
growers will benefit from the studies and experiments o f those men uality .
will fol low production and per fection will be their goal that the products
, ,
o f these fig gardens when offered to the consumin g public be not a l one a ,
pleasure and a j oy but a combination of food and con fection The per fectio n .
in handling figs which these men wil l achieve will practically eliminate
E uropean competition but with the p as sing o f that menace must also pass
,
our present crude and unsatis factory practices .
The dry fig o f the future wil l be hand picked from low crowned - -
modern grown orchards the full sugared j elly ripe fruit bl anched and made
-
,
- -
,
tender by super heated steam dehydrated by methods other than sun heat
-
,
-
and the finished product semi transparent retaining full weight fl avor and
-
, ,
delicacy will be offered to the ever increasing trade in tasty attractive forms ,
,
-
, ,
and for distant consumption packed in gl ass and tin sterilized and sealed
, , ,
where deterioration cannot occur and time will occasion no loss Such a .
product cannot be produced in Cali fornia in quantity to meet demand and ,
over production will be the mirage that fades into thin air
-
.
I mproved methods in production o f al l commodities h ave always proven

cheaper than the crude methods employed by the pioneer in any p r oJe c t and ,
the betterment o f the fig product will be no exception .

The savin g in weight by hand picking eliminating other losses now sus ~
ta i ne d will meet additional cost o f preparation and improvement o f finished

, ,
product will naturally bring sufficiently better price s to meet all expenses ,
and with organization will follow the elimination o f one or more middlemen
between producer and consumer and lessened cost to c onsumer will be a t
,
tended with increased consumption The world must look to California .
alone for this betterment in figs and from the F orkner gardens may we expect
,
these changes to be inaugurated where knowledge modern methods o r , , ,
ga ni z a ti o n and money are incorporated and aided by science and s k ill .
"turn s p
e e r a cr e to d a te
A s my orchard was pl anted in M arch 19 1 3 it is but six and a hal f , ,
years o f age at the present writing I t is on heavy land and has had good .
care A s I chanced to be a p i oneer in the growing o f this fig I could obtain

.
,
no advice on its habits and no man could aid me M ethods formerly used .
were considered practical and proper and whil e debating pl anting methods ,
one man o f experience said " O h a fig is a fig ; they re all alike

’
.
,
Right there my mistakes and troubles started and I am p a y mg the bills ”
now and wil l for years to come pay for my ignorance in my older orchard .
F ortunately I can save to all others now l a bor ye a r s a nd mone y What I , .
have written and s p o ken in the past few years has been the results obtained
from actual experience some o f it sad and very expensive
, .
A s a resul t o f my mistakes t h e financial returns herew ith presented from

my orchard are necessarily less than I could expect to ob tain now under
similar conditions now that our knowledge of this fig has vastly broadened
I planted my orchard 3 6 x 3 6 —o r 34 trees per acre ins te a d o f 2 5 x 2 5 or
.
,
6 9 trees per acre I n 19 1 5 I grossed about $ 2 0 per acre or 6 0 cents per

.
"
tree . I n 19 16 I netted per acre or a bout per tree In .
1 9 1 7 I grossed pe r acre or per tree and it rained for ,
several wee k s making picking in my adobe l and impossible

, Losses were .
considerabl e .
I n 1 9 1 8 I grossed per acre o f 2 7 5 4 pounds or ,
per tree o f 8 1 pounds and hot winds in June caused a loss and the
, ,
continued rains in the autumn made picking impossibl e for over three weeks .
O ur 19 19 crop in June netted 2 1 2 5 pounds per acre or $ 1 which was

per tree Three bl azing hot weeks in July with temperature ranging
.
from 100 to 1 1 8 in the shade set a new heat record for our section and all
° °
figs and fruits suffered O u r season s record was cut down 5 0% earlier esti
’
mates and our orchard grossed us per tree E arlier estimates were .
per tree .
The above prices were obtained while we were experimenting in growing ,
pruning and marketing A ll that is now saved the grower o f the future and
.
,
had our orchard been pl anted at the now approved distances o f 2 5 x 2 5 or

6 9 trees per acre even under the handicaps we were compelled to overcome
,
the results should have stood some th ing like this "
Third summer per acre , .
F ourth summer per acre , .
F i fth summer per acre , .

Sixth summer , per acre .
Seventh summer , per acre .
To the fi g grower o f other v a r 1e t1e s these figures may seem a b surd but ,
he must remember we are dealing with something newer and marketed in a ,
di fferent manner than anything o f which we have ever had knowledge in

the past .
S ix ye a r ol d K do t a a . C orre c t ly p r ned i n
u fi rs t t h r e ye re a s .
The follow i ng letter sp e aks for itsel f . I t reads in part as follows
Wilcox A ve Hol lywood Cali f

19 6 1 , O ctober 15 , 19 1 7 .
M r W Sam Cl ark Sultan a Cali f

—
. . .
, ,
D ear —I
S ir z
have read and r e read your articl e in the proceeding o f
.
the F ig I nstitute of J anuary 1 9 1 7 I have a small orchard o f Kadota F igs

, .
,
which I pl anted twelve years ago having secured my rootings from M r , .
Stephen H T a ft as yo u did I knew when you secured your rootings some

. .
,
years ago I a m e xp e rrme ntmg with intensive cultural methods with this
.
fig.
s a 5 5
When my trees were six years old I sold my entire crop ,
green to Hotel A lexandri a for twenty cents per pound I n September o f .
that year I sold green figs from my six trees a “ s

By my .
s 3 a
methods o f culture many o f my figs attain a size o f one fourth to one third - -
and some almost one hal f pound EA C H f - f

O ne year I sold my .
‘
24 T H E KAD OTA F I G
0
entire crop to Hotel A ngelus at fi fteen to twenty fi v e cents per pound selling -
,
7 00 pounds from my six trees averaging twenty cents per pound season ,
average ( average per tree )

O ther sea sons h ave sold entire cr 0p in bul k o ff the trees to L a nk e r shi m ,
Van Nuys and B everly Hills Hotels at a fl at rate o f twelve and a hal f cents
straight.
s 5 ”a
B y intensive culture my figs on the extreme six inch tip
5
“ z
-
o f the limbs attain immense size and crowd one anothe r off there being ten ,
a f s i
to fi fteen figs clustering on extreme tip of the limb I prune my .
trees back very severely to permit o f green picking as I don t like to climb , ‘
2 s ° a
to the clouds to gather my figs f
I have a few r oo tl ngs for sale
.
‘
my price li k e M r T a ft s being fi fty to seventy fi v e cents and for especially

’
-
.
, , ,
fine trees I have received as high as each .
Respectfully ,
J
OH N H O L IV E "
. .
Th e Pr o s p e c t s o f t h e Ka do ta Fi g
W S A M C L A "K
.
( Paper at F ig Institute 19 19 ) ,
B y the pro sp e ct o f any undertakin g we mean i n reality the p oss i bil i tie s , ,
which that undertaking ho lds in store for its promoters To ga i n a v i ew in .
the mind s eye o f the prospect or possibility o f a ny undertaking we must i n a

’
great measure be gu1de d by what has transpired in the past regarding that ,
same obj ect and we say the p rospects are either good or p o or
"
.
,
Regarding the Kadota fi g we are compelled , most emphatically , to

pronounce the pro spe cts good .
We may say in all truth a nd sincerity that judging the future by the ,
short past thes e prospects exceed all our expectations and even our fondest
, ,
hopes bid fair to be out realized -

.
I n speaking o f the Kadota fig I refer only to that fig distributed by the

l ate Stephen H Ta ft and named by him to distingu i sh this strain from sev
.
,
eral other varieties now o fttimes being marketed under the popul ar name o f
,
Kadota ; therefore pl ant ers shoul d be absolutely sure o f the origin o f the
roo tings they se t out .
A few years ago th e Kadota was an experiment Today it is an a c .
complished fact I t has sprung to the very head o f every fig in its class a nd
. ,
we might say it is al most in a class by itsel f ; yet in some respects it overlaps

the granted prerogatives o f some o f the older varieties I refer now to its .
capri fying and drying q ualities I will dwel l upon these points a littl e l ater
.
. .
T H E KA D O T A F I G 25
I n speaking o f the prospects o f this fi g we must base our statements and

expectations upon its record in Cali fornia during the l a st ten years since it ,
was introduced and distributed .
A d v a nt a g e s
v
F irst o f all we have a fig o f wonderful growing habits ; it outstrips by

,
far al l others .
Secondly we have a fig that bears in its tender in fancy

, . F rom planti ng
to crop gathering is but a very few sho r t years .
Third we h ave a fig which under proper care and cultivation in the

, ,
San J oaq uin V alley o fttimes attains a size o f 3 and 3 V2 inches in diameter
, ,
while from about Los A ngeles even l arger sizes are reported N ot all the .
fi gs on every tree are thus in size neither a r e all the figs extremely large on
,
any other variety o f fig tree The Kadota in reality has three sizes and each
.
,
h as its particul ar market .
F ourth we have a fruit in demand in many markets

, B y that I mean .
we have a fruit for canning and preserving in many forms and a fig for long ,
distance shipment to the A tl antic seaboard and to popul ation centers i mp o s

sible o f fig production .
— F i fth we have a variety here that bears a tremendous crop four and
,
one hal f months every summer The cycl e of its ripenin g period is roughly
.
3 0 days shading slightly e i ther way according to weather conditions the

, ,
first cycle being in June the others A ugust September O ctober and N ovem
, , ,
ber 1 5 th .
Sixth this fig is now succeeding in any soil and under nearly all con
,
~
di tions in the Valley where any o f the older varieties now succeed and is ,
proving as hardy under extreme col d and drouth as any o f the others a nd it ,
leads them all when early rains come F o r rains fog and dampness are no .
,
disaster to this variety These conditions simply retard ripening and the crop
.
awaits return o f normal weather conditions and continues its ripening until ,
the Nove mb er cold closes the season “
M a y be Ca pr ifi e d
While this fig 15 pr i marily a green shipper a nd a canning and fresh
eating fig second to none ever grown yet this fact remains " So easily are
, ,
they c a p r i fi e d that a grower may fertilize his A ugust crop gather it as any ,
other dried fi g crop and when the Capri wasp is no longer obtainabl e he
, , ,
may resume his green shipping for two and one hal f months longer -
.
A s the Kadota fig has never under any circumstances been known to

sour split or contain mold o f any kind the dry articl e is most satis factory for
, ,
all purposes and when c a p r i fi e d and mixed with dried S ymr na s experts assur e
,
me they cannot separate the varieties .

26 T H E KA D OTA F " “
"s ult se o f C a prifyin g
‘
While on this subj ect o f the dry and c a p r i fi e d Kadota fi g permit me to ,
read to you extracts fro m a communication I receiv ed some time 'si nc e from
Pro f I J Condit o f the University o f Cali forni a on this subj ect "
. . .
“
F resh Kadota figs c a p r i fi e d were received f r o m you A ugu st 2 2 1 9 1 8
'
.
.
,
I made the following notes on these specimens ; the exterior appearance o f the
two are markedly different .
“
F irst the color o f the unc a p r i fi e d Kadota IS a light golden yellow and
,
-
,
the sur face is somewhat glossy ; the color o f the c a p r i fi e d Kadota is green or
yellowish green and the sur face is dull
-
, .
“
Second the ribs o f the unc a p r i fi e d fruit are practical ly absent and un
,
noticeabl e ; in the c a p r i fi e d fruit the ribbed appearance especially in the ,
wilted specimens being netted and roughened by the slightly elevated longi
, ,
tud i na l cross veins -

.
Third the meat or rind seems to be little affected in thic kness or tex
,
ture Whether the naturally excellent keeping and shipping qualities are i m
.
paired by c a p r i fi c a tio n I cannot say .
F ourth the unc a p r i fi e d Kadota is practically seedless or the se e ds a r e

, ,
*
so small and so few in number as to be h ardly noticeabl e The seeds in the .
c a p r i fi e d Kadota are numerous fairly large and o f course fertile

, , , , .
F i fth the difference in fl avor is distinct the c a p r i fi e d fruit being

, ,
sweeter and richer Tests o f the sugar content ( B a il ing ) were made with
.
Pro f C r ue ss assistance with the following results " c a p r i fi e d figs

’
.
, ,
unc a p r i fi e d figs ,
“
Three figs were weighed and the fertil e seeds in each counted with , ,
the following results

( 1) gr 5 44 fertile seeds
(2 ) gr 4 1 2 fertile seeds
( 3 ) 30 gr 4 02 fertile seeds
N ow follows a letter to Pro f Condit from Pro f M E J affa dated . . . . ,
“ ”
D ec 1 5 1 9 1 7 regarding D ried Kadota F igs
, ,
°
M r A lbro has determined the percentage o f sugar and m oisture in

.
the two samples o f Kadota figs wh i ch you le ft with us with the follow i n g , ,
res ults "
K a d o t a F ig s
C a p ri fi e d
7%
C o m p a ri s o n w it h F o r e ign F ig s
The above results as I have present e d them to you are from o ur
, ,
University pro fes sors upon the Kadota fig both fresh and dry N ow permi t
,
.
me to give you for a comparison the analysis of the Smyrna and other E uro
pean imported figs '
d ry as reported by D r G ustav E isen in
,
his volume en .
“ "
titled The F i g Its History Culture and Curing
, ,
.
O n page we find his an alysis o f Cali fornia grown A driatics as

2 85 -
5 7 % sugar and that o f imported Smyrnas at

, a secon d sample of
Smyrnas he records as having sugar His first analysis o f the i m .
ported Smyrn a you will observe falls short o f the Kadota exactly
, ,
in sugar and his second s ampl e is shy

,
in favor o f the Kadota On .
page 2 8 7 o f this book D r E isen gives us the analysis o f fourteen other

, .
varieties o f dried figs raised in the various fi g growing sections o f the world
.
“
-
and only three o f the f o ur te e n exceed in sugar content the Kadota as pre
’
,
sented by our University pro fessors I had no statistics at hand regarding .
the Smyrna fig o f California so could not make a comparison B ut as we

, .
,
out su gar the Smyrna figs o f A sia M inor we should worry

-
, .
G a t h e r s G o ld e n C r o p fr o m T r e e s in N o v e m b e r
F rom FIG O L IV E J O ""N A L
"N ov e m be r 1 9 1 8]
,
Having heard much in favo r o f the Kadota fig and being rath er im

’
presse d by the good accounts given by those who were engaged in its culture ,
the publisher o f the J our nal gave himsel f a treat by visiting recently the
‘
Kadota orchard o f M r W Sam Cl ark near Sultana . .

, .
A fter s ee i ng what we did on that enj oyabl e occasion it is in order for

us to say that ou r previous ideas regarding the Kadota were far short o f
’
the realities that faced us when we stood in M r Cl ark s orchard and .
viewed his magnificent trees loaded with fruit tha t is h ardly to be describ ed
,
as being less than the concentrated essence o f fl avor and sweetness This . ,
mind y ou at a time o f the year when it is about impossible to secure an

,
eatable fresh fig i n all the length and breadth o f the San J oaquin Valley .
Truly the Kadota seems to be a perpetual bearer for the trees in this
, ,
orchard were full o f figs in every stage o f development from those j ust out
o f the bud to fully ripened figs heavy with sugar O nly the c o m1ng o f frost .
will put an end to the harves ti ng o f the fruit we are told and even then the , ,
trees will carry a crop that i f harvested from the average orchard woul d
, ,
mean prosperity for the owner .
M r Clark is busy shipping his present crop o f Ka do ta s to a l arg e

.
packing concern in San F rancisco which uses the fruit for preserving a , ,
purpose to which the Kadota lends itsel f with all the success attending the
"
famous M agnolia fig o f Texas hereto fore the recognized standard o f excel

,
lence in this line o f fan cy products .
Since early l ast June M r Cl ark has gathered from his trees at intervals
. ,
o f about thirty fi v e days successive crops o f high grade figs that have s old
-
,
-
at splendid prices The Kadota bears throughout the season in cycl es M r

.
, .
Clark expl ains and each cycle occupies about thirty fi ve days This continues
,
-
.
until the winter s cold will no l o nger permit the fruit to mature and surely
’
no one could reasonably ask for a longer season than this .
F rom what we have seen o f the Kadota fig on the Clark pl ace we are
convinced o f these facts " The trees make a prodigious growth far out ,
s tripping any other fig we have seen ; th ey bear exceedingly early a tree ,
eighteen months from the pl anting bearing in many instances as much as

thirty to forty pounds o f edibl e figs ; the fruit i s of good size and literally as
28 T H E KA D OTA F I G
P i c k ing b k et d fre h f r u i t B k t
a s a n s a s e 14x19 i nche s by inche deep L i ght
s
g l v ni ed iron E ily k ept cle n nit ry v ery dur ble ; weight
. .
a a z a s a a nd s a a a n d a
pound ; 1 8 pound fre h fru it
.
s s s .
T H E KA D O TA FI G 29
‘
sweet as sugar ; there is no evidence whatever that the Kadota either splits
or sours as do so many other varieties and finally it seems to us the idea l
, , , ,
green shippe r and preserving fig has been discovered in this variety .
C l a r k O r ch a rd h a s We a lt h o f Ka d o t a s
F rom FIG Ol rz
-
JO ""N A L
1 9 19 ]
W Sam Cl ark has been more than busy with his Kadota fig crop on
.
his place near Sultana the first crop being a l arge one and in much demand
—
,
for green shipment The l ater crop now showing in a wel l developed stag e
.
,
-
on the trees promises to be a record breaker The trees though young non e
, .
, ,
o f them being more than six years old are fairly covered with young figs , .
M r Clark has been most success ful in disposing o f his Ka do ta s for good
.
prices to the preser v ing concerns as well as finding a remunerative market

,
in the l arger cities where he h as been consigning the fruit intended for fresh
consumption A fter a recent visit to the Clark orchard we would say that
. ,
under present conditions in the fi g business the owner h as the nearest thing ,
to a g old mine that we know o f F or th ri fty growth heal thy appearance

. ,
and yield o f fruit the orchard o f W Sam Cl ark is probably uneq ualed in .
Cali fornia .
M i ss i o n on the B o rd e r s
Regardless o f wh a t may be grown upon your l and borders should be ,
pl ant e d to figs ; avenues roads and b y ways should be lined with fig trees not
,
-
,
alone from financial views but to add beauty and attractiveness to your prop
,
e r ty .
The tremendous rooting habits o f a fi g permit it to reach out great di s

tances and gather tree and fruit food from the soil otherwise lost to the owner .
'
T he r o a ds and avenues of Cali fornia are so numerous and generous in
width that vast acreages in the aggregate are lost to the state as producing
agencies unless employed by the use o f the fig N othing can be more pleasing .
to the eye than an avenue o f great spreading fi g trees l aden with luscious fruit , ,
during the heat o f summer .
N o money comes to a land owner that is as near velvet as the returns

-
o f the fruit from the se borders o f fig trees There are many cases that ma y .
be cited i n the S an J oaquin and S acramento Valleys where the entire runnin g
expen ses o f the enclosed areas are more than bal a nced by the returns from the
crop o f dry figs gathered from these border pl antings A ll produced we may .
,
assume from land otherwise lost to the owner I t is strongly advisable in the
, .
maj ority o f cases that the M ission fig b e planted as a border tree .
This fig requires no c a p r i fi c a tion no special care the fruit in drying falls

, ,
and is cheaply gathered and invariably finds a ready sale on a market b e

,
coming greater each season This fig is rapidly becoming a great fa v orite due
.
,
to its splendid flavor and absence o f sour and splits and its uses are mo r e
, ,
varied than any other dried fig o f commerce .
The consuming public throughout the United States and Canada a r e

be i ng educated to the u ses o f this fig and no mistake can be made in planting
it on borders and ditch banks .
30 T H E KA D OT A F I G
0 The diffi culty o f capri fying the Smyrna hen thus planted and the , W ,
trouble and expense o f g a thering the Kadota when planted in border form ,
l eave us no other choice o f varieties that will even remotely produce financial
returns eq ual to those obtained in the use o f the M ission .
O n every h a nd we see grand old M ission trees producing great crop s

year after y e ar no cul tivation or care ever given littl e or no i rrigat i on pra e
, ,
ti ced yet with every neglect they never fail

,
in lea f or crop .
Sm yrn a
N ext 1n order i n the drying fig from point o f 1ncome we must pl ace the
Smyrna o f the Lob I nj ir variety O f the white dry figs no thing ever
.
has been or probably ever will be pr oduced equal to a perfect Smyrna fig .
There is not now pl anted in Cali fornia suffi cient acreage o f Smyrnas to proper
l y supply the markets o f the very near future The beauty o f this fig in its
.
various forms o f pack ; its fl avor and general excellence create for it a
permanent pl ace in the favor o f all consumers the world over .
Tis hard to conceive an overproduction o f this fruit To the intendin g

’
pl anter however who is not definitely wedded already to this fig of commerce

, , ,
I would suggest th at he duly consider his soil climatic conditions including , ,
regular or sporadic breezes in the p o l l e ni z ing seasons and supplies o f capri figs ,
o f his own or from other orchards .
I ntelligent and careful con sideration o f soil for success ful propagation o f
the Smyrna fig o f a quality to meet importation compe tition will probably r e
veal to the investigator that much o f the splitt ing and subseq uent losses o f this
fig is due l argely to a l ack o f moisture in the soil a t a critical period in its
growth ; soils whose composition are such as to permit o f the evaporation
o f the last irrigation or moisture supply from other sources permit ( when
,
unusual periods o f heat occur ) the evaporation o f moisture exactly when most
needed .
The leaves o f the tree draw heavily upon the stored moisture in the soil
and it is lost in various ways before the growing and swelling fruit can secure
su ffi cient to meet its req uirements Hence a stagnatio n in growth temporarily
.
occurs the skin o f the fruit toughens or hardens and upon cool weather return
, ,
ing or an additional supply o f moisture otherwise occurs a rush o f sap to

, ,
the fruit resul ts and the skin o f the fruit cannot expand and spl i tting
fol lows exactly in proportion to the duration o f the privation the fruit p r e
,
v i o u sl y sustained A hot summer following a dry winter gives us our worst

.
losses in Smyrnas from splitting and sudden coolness following intense heat
,
produces the same result .
I t is my opinion that the souring o f the Smyrna fig may be traceabl e to

the same conditions as the splitting .
I t is my belief based on ob servation only that there is a critical period ,
in the dev elopment o f this fig when i f a sudden flow o f sap be diverted from
, ,
the tr e e and lea f to the fruit by coolnes s o f the days and nights and the
, ,
evaporation j ust preceding the cooln ess is stopped the excess sap permit ,
ted to go to the fruit cannot in so short a time become converted into sugar and ,
while that slow process is taking pl ace fermentation sets in and vinegar forms
and we have our sours .
I have no wa y o f proving my assertions in this matter and my opinions

may find opposition in the investigations o f others However I have observ e d .
,
that water slightly sweetened will sour quickly and water heavily impregnated
with sugar is slow to so ur a nd that figs that form and ripen b e fore a hot spel l
,,
seldom sour and split and that immediately upon the return o f cool weather
,
following the hot spell splitting and souring immediately occur

,
.
Soil very retentive o f moisture r e ga rd l e ss of we a the r c ondi ti ons l n my

opinion will p ro dii c e fi gs de ss lik ely to sour and split Hence soil c omposition .
enters into the ga me very prominently .
A Smyrna fig grower having secured capri figs ready to liberate wasps

,
in plenty wi th necessary pollen and finds his Smyrna figs are also in a r e
, ,
c e p ti v e condition dreads to see a wind storm reg ul ar or sporadic come

, , ,
along as his little bene factors are blo wn scattered and lost and eventually
, , ,
he may not fertil ize over 80 per cent o f the figs se t upon his trees .
Smyrna figs on borders are harder to p o l l e ni z e than a block o f trees se t

in rectangul ar form as above named conditions make it diffi cul t to retain the
,
wasps In my opinion more cas h returns will always be obtained from border
.
planting i f the M ission fig b e pl anted instead o f the Smyrn a .
Adri a ti c
Pl anting o f A driatics in the past has been a profita b l e procedure but ,
no consideration was given the soil for this variety conseq uently we find it ,
growing everywhere and in the maj ority o f cases the fruit sours splits molds
, , , ,
and has brought the name o f Cali fornia dry figs into disrepute in E astern
markets where it is sold in competition with the imported Smyrna .
The Pure F ood Law has been invoked in the season past and a serious
loss to growers was averted only by the leniency with which the law was
applied In the seasons to come no such leniency may be expected and the
.
financial returns to growers o f A driatics will be seriously affected .
I ntending planters o f this var i ety should determine in advance that they
h ave the soil wherein this fig wil l mature and be a per fect fruit ; so few and
far between are these areas that we may almost cl ass the A driatic as a forbid ~
den variety .
Lan"d is too valuable and time too precious and other varieties too plenti ful
.
to take a chance l n plantin g a variety which offers so little for the futur e .
A side from the soil a cool damp night a fog or rain pl ays the mischief with a
, ,
crop o f A driatics The salvation o f the older A driatic orchards will probably
.
be found in capri fying the fruit gathering it fresh as is done with M ission and
,
Ka do ta s and employing dehydration methods to produce a better dried fig A

, .
very creditable article may thus be obtained and confiscation under the Pure
F ood Law be averted .
The older methods employed in the past must surely be abandoned .
Large q uantities o f A driatics will in the future be consumed in canning and

.
preserving pl ants and factories and pruning to permit fresh picking must be
,
practiced .
32 THE K ADO T A FIG
De s c ripti o n o f K a do ta i
Fi u i t
The fruit o f the Kadota fig is rather o f the oblong ty p e yet specimens ,
very flat o ften o ccur The color i s golden yellow tinting to green and
. , ,
reaches its per fection in color and fl avor in A ugust and September o f each
year E arlier and l ater fruit due to climatic conditions sh ade less to golden
. .
“ ”
The textu re o f the skin is very e l a s ti c which virtue added to the solid for ,
mation o f the i nterior o f the fruit makes possibl e th e fresh fig being shipped i n
refrigerator cars to E ast e rn seabo ard cities and also E astern Canadian destina
tl ons .
O n young trees the second summer after pl anting a crop o f figs may
, ,
be gathered small in sizes and l acking in fl avor but very sweet , .
The a b sence o f seeds or rather the infinitely small size o f the seed found
,
i n a Kadota fi g is the secret o f this fi g s l ong distance shipping The fruit is

’ ‘
.
,
not broken i n transit by the incessant j ar o f a car as the seeds having no weight ,
do not break down the tissues and cause the fruit on arrival at destinations to
“ ”
be cl assed as a leaker as is the usua l case with other varieties when their
,
long distance shipment is attempted .
I n the E astern shipment o f the Kadota we have secured fancy prices even
though the figs have been 1 7 days in tr a nsit That is an exceptional case .
,
however as 1 0 to 14 days is usually the limit The circul ation o f air in a

, .
car containing figs is an absolute essential and i f any delay in transit is o cca ,
s i o ne d the air becoming stagnant molding of the fruit will invari ably follow
, , .
A s I have said before young trees bear a crop o f small sized wel l col
,
-
,
- ~
ored figs yet as the trees increase with age the size o f the fruit also increases
,
until the fi fth or sixth year at which age the maximum sizes seem to have
,
been attained and per fec tion o f th e fruit in color and fl avor has been secured
, .
With the age o f tree and size o f the fruit come s also the sealing o f the
fi g at the blossom end A drop o f clear slightly Sweetened wax will then fill
.
,
the eye o f the fig the wax hardening and thus absol utely sealing the fig aga inst
,
the intrusion of insect and m01stur e i nsur mg the consumer of this fig either , ,
fresh or dry a per fect product which may be eaten out o f hand or in cooked
, ,
forms there being removed the fear that something undesirable may be con
,
sumed with the fi g .
There i s anot h er point regarding this fi g which I wish to emp hasize right
here N oKadota fig up to the present time has ever been known to sour split
. , ,
or contain blac k mold Hence a consumer need never fear o f biting into a
. ,
big luscious fig and find the interior fille d with a googling mass o f vinegar or
a bunch o f black mold and a grower can sa fely pl ant and grow this fruit
,
without the haunting fear that his l and or some portion o f it will cause his
future crops to be unmarketable or at least cause him a partial loss o f profits
,
.
He also is in a great measure insured against adverse weather conditions as ,
rain fog or dew have but little bearing on the harvesting o f the crop Rain
, , .
will del ay the ripenin g and perhaps del ay the picking o f a few figs at that tim e
ready for market and the return o f favorabl e weat h er means a r e sump t1on o f
,
gathering and marketing o f the fruit .
Young trees produce small fruit o f a size and color greatly desired b y ,
canners and preservers as well as con fectioners for gl ace and candy pur
,
34 T H E KA D O T A F K}
T H E KA D O T A F I G 35
O
poses A s the orchard 1nc r e a se s i n age an i ncrease In S i ze o f f ru1t occurs unt1l
.
,
~
,
the fi fth and sixth summers find figs o f the genuine Kad o ta in size equal to the
l argest o f figs grown F igs o f 3 inches to 3 A inches in diameter occur and
.
1
extreme sizes weigh 3 to the pound and in my own orchard four and five ,
figs to the pound are not in freq uent in J une and early A ugust crops Later in .
the season slightly smaller sizes oc cur until O ctober when in favorable , ,
seasons l a r ge fi gs again develop However only a b out 1 0% o f any crop is

'
, .
,
extreme in size while pe rh aps 6 0% is medium and 3 0% small in sizes E ach

, ,
.
size has a special market and al l are in growing demand .
A genuine Kadota fig that is unc a p r i fi e d is o f a golden yellow colo r ,
shiny as though varnished solid in fruit and very sweet and of pleasing fl avor
,
differing from that o f any other variety .
The skin does not prick or burn the lips and is very pleasing in t aste , ,
making it unnecessary to remove the skin for eating out o f hand or se rv 1ng
on the tabl e with cream and sugar or crushing to serve with ice cream
-
, , .
The seeds being infin i tely smal l are not detected while being eaten and
that factor adds to the j oy o f eating this fig by peopl e who have a pl ate or
whose teeth are otherwise troublesome The fig being solid within is c onse .
q uently a heavy fruit hence the returns from a tree loaded with fruit is greater
,
than would be suspected .
Climatic conditions cause a variation in this fig not observabl e in others .
Coastal regions produce no June crop and the size o f the fruit in A ugust is
greater than the interior valleys produce The color is like wise di ff erent Less . .
o f the golden color is found but more shades o f green occur I mperial Valley
, .
grows a smaller fruit than any other section o f which I h ave knowledge ; the
color is golden however The moisture conten t is less and the drying fruit
, .
is hard and unsatis factory The San Joaq uin and Sacramento V alleys will
.
eventually produce the choicest o f this delicacy .
The c a p r i fi e d Kadota is v astly different from the unc a p r i fi e d and is ,

.
green in color when ripened the interior being a deep shade o f red the seeds
, ,
l arge and heavy the sugar content increased and general appearance radically
, , .
differing from the unc a p ri fi e d .
C a p r i fi c a ti o n does not cause an increase in s iz e o f fruit "however i n ,
crease in we ight bein g noticeable bo th fresh and dry The fruit o f the June
, .
crop is found on the tips o f the growth o f the precedin g season and from four
to ten figs will be clustered on the terminal o f a limb and as the sizes increase ,
they press into one another making a gre a t cluster o f golden colored fruit very
, ,
b e a utl f ul and spectacular .
The crops in following months are on tips o f new growth and scattered
along down the branch a fig inv a r i a b l y oc c ur r ing at the axel o f each leaf
,
‘
which grows as the limbs extend in l ength Consequently every new leaf .
"
harbors a fig and a continuous crop occurs throughout the ripening season .
De s c ripti o n o f Tre e a n d H a b it s
The Kadota tree in lea f and form resembles in many respect three other
v a r 1e t1 e s o f figs long grown in Cali fornia and elsewhere and this resemblance ,
has oc c a s1o ne d a sad mixture in orchards desired by growers to be tr ue K a d o ta .
The tree is an upright grower o f wonderous thri ft and vigor and unless ,
1nte l l 1 ge nt l
.
y pruned from its very in fancy wil l fail to make the desired shaped
0
tr ee d produce the m aximum crop o f which it is capable
an I ts vitality and .
tenacity almost invariably produce a 100% stand wherever the rootings are
pl anted So sure is i ts growt h that in my nursery business I invariably guar
.
antee to repl ace all stock which fail s to grow and return all money paid for ,
such rootin gs regardl ess o f soil conditions i f the pl anting occurs before M a r c h
1 5 th . Strong alkali l and is the exception to my guarantee although we have ,
th riving Kadota orchards in l and considered al kal ine .
The leaves on the tree di ffer vastly in form one from another Some .
are fi v e lobed some only thr e e and again no lobes at al l appear being a very
-
, , ,
l arge oval shaped lea f some bein g o f enormous size i n thri fty trees
-
, .
This fig has proven to be as frost resistant as any other grown in Cali

f or ni a and even more so th an the more tender varieties—young M i ssi o n f f o r
,
instance E xcessive frosts have frozen Kadota orchards to the ground yet
.
,
they come up again I n my own case on one plot o f eight acres in the spring
.
,
o f 19 1 7 I found not a sign o f life on any tree above the ground yet not a
, ,
singl e tree had to be repl aced as 1 00% came from the roots and is now as ,
spl endid an orchard as can be found in the State .
Ho w to Pl a nt
In
preparing your l and for pl anting you will find this system as I have , ,
m many res pects superior to any o f the many other systems now in use By .
th i s system you may level in one section o f your field bl ast or pl ant i n any ,
o ther and no operation will interfere with any o f the others simultaneously
,
per formed .
The correct tree location may instantly be determined regardless o f what

section o f the field you may be standing in at the time To use this system . ,
determine your tree distances with wire or tape either on your own borders ,
or j ust outside your own property or area to be pl anted Pl ace whitewashed .
lath or 4 ft stakes a t} proper distances entirel y around futur e orchard loca

.
tion outside o f pl anting area N ext quarter your area with a similar row o f
.
,
stakes N O T where trees are to be pl anted but somewhere between rows

, ,
.
N ow step into any q 1i a r te r o f your location the northwes t for instance ,

.
Use your shovel handle to help you line up the stakes numbered in this dia
-
gram for demonstration purposes looking east 2 4 and 1 3 Then looking

, , .
s outh line up 3 5 and E ye ( I ) and you have W as correct location for that
, ,
particul ar tree .
N e xt go into the southeast q uarter look north and line up 3 8 and E ;

, ,
and loo king west you get 3 3 and 1 1 in line and the exact position for that
tree is accurately determined marked "
,
, .
A ny other tree location in the entire orchard may as readily and with
absolute accuracy be found .
You may be pl anting bl astin g scrapin g or plowing in any o f the fou r

, ,
q uarters at the same time and no operation n e e d inter fere with any other .
Leave the entire staking system in place until the l ast tree is pl anted .
I f a stake b ecomes knocked down it may accurately be replaced as ,
you have two other stakes to realign i t with in repl acing .
B y this system much worry and annoyance may be avoided as no l ittl e ,
stakes are used and no pl anting board and your orchard wil l always be i n ,
per fect alignment even though your l and may be rough rolling or on a
, ,
hillside .
C l a rk M e t h o d o f L a ying o flT r a c t
’
for Pl a nting .
No r t h
S o ut h
38 T H E KA D OT A F I G
K A D OT A F G S I
N otices i e of il v er doll r
z s a c ontr ted i
a s a si e of
sv th s z fi g s Th e fru i t i s a
golden yellow d glo y though v rn i hed
.
a n s s a s a s .
F r o z e n N ur s e ry S t o c k
A s I said in another portion of this book pl anter would do well to , th e
know the habits o f his nurseryman B ut very few of the average nurserymen .
know as much abo ut fig nursery stock as they do o f other varieties They do .
not as a rule appreciate the extreme delicacy o f the r o o ts o f the baby fi g

, ,
‘
trees they are selling A breath of hot or dry air will inj ure them and the
.
,
.
most extreme care should be exercised at al l times in their handling E xposed

‘
'
to the sun they are inj ure d or killed E xposed to fro st the same resul ts occu r
,
.
.
, .
F r ost wil l inj ure a nursery bed and the trees l arge and small may be -
, , ,
so chilled i f not actually frozen as to be almost useless A frozen rooting

, , .
will show the top bl ack a nd at times bent over A t only a short space at
, , , .
the top may this be noticeable and while the buds are bright and green in ,
appearance all down the tree yet it may be frozen to the roots , .
Let the planter take his kni fe and with the small bl ade cut into a nd ,
upward deeply in the bark o f the stick Now press the po rtion so cut DO W N .
and back into pl ace I f mil k issues from the wound that part o f the stick on
.
,
'
down to the r oo ts is uninj ured I f nothing issues from the wound o r o nly a .
,
little watery substance you may res t assured that from the incision upward to
,
the top the tree is frozen

, The tree may be fr o zen only a portion o f its
.
length and b y so prospecting downward you may determine e x a c tl v the

,
point where the tree should be cut off and waxed over .
I n the case o f the Kadota it should be cut to within 1 0 or 1 2 inches ,
from the ground when pl anted and i f frosted the frozen part is thus cut away , .
I n any event the stick should be cut on down until the milk will flow freely
, ,
even though it should be necessary to cut it off level with the ground in which ,
event the tree will b r a nc h A T the ground instead o f a few inches farther up
i
E ither method is good as the results desired may thus be obtained n amely a
, , ,
low spreading tree easily picked without the use o f l adders

, , .
Here is something to remember " When a tree is growing the sap flows
upward from roots to leaf and branch W hen the sa m e tree is dormant the .
roots are sustained by a D O W NW A R D trend o f the s a p in the tree T he .
more the roots draw on the tree the more H A R D E N ED and DO RM A NT

it becomes Nursery stock in autumn not exposed to very severe frosts slowly
.
, ,
becomes dormant and l ater in the season may withstand a severe freeze without
inj u r y However i f the frosting takes pl ace early in the autumn the tree is
.
, ,
caught ful l o f sap and the frozen portion sours and generates a po ison which ,
is sl owly drawn down into the roots causing even the un frozen part o f the tree ,
to die a n d i n the maj ority o f cases so in fecting the roots that they i n turn are
,
k illed .
However in most cases i f too long a time does not el apse from freezin g
,
to cutting away the frosted portion the tree may prove as good as any I f ,
.
pl anted and l eft uncut and unwaxed the loss is almost certain M y e xp e r i ,
.
~
ence has been that i f the frozen tree is in orchard form and frosted portions
(
cut away and roots never removed from the ground it wil l nearly always ,
come aga i n F urthermore the Kadota has proven far more sturdy under
.
,
the freezing and cutting back than any o f the other figs I have ever handled .
They seem to have more vitality under such abuse and a satis factory stand
may be secured from stock frosted and cut back i f planted early in the , ,
s ea son .
My nurseries this season 19 19 were caught in heavy frosts very early in
, ,
the A utumn and my losses were extremely h e avy G reat disappointment will
.
come to my customers who have ordered stoc k and have be e n assured my

,
nurseries would supply them only at the l ast moment to find my frozen stock
,
useless and their plans ruined for this season

, .
While my losses are heavy I ful ly apprec iate that the growers losses are
,
heavier still. I am apporti o ning to those ordering very early and the year
,
before al l I have i n my nur se r i es which stan d a chance at all and here I

, ,
again a ssure my customers th at e v e ry rooting I supply to them 18 suppo sed to

r
g wo . I f it is pl ant e d be fore M arch 1 5 and it fails to grow next season I
, ,
will supply another tree o f the same price f re e and will r ef und the ori g inal
, ,
price paid for the defunct rootin g .
I am in the nursery business to ST A Y and a satisfied customer is my

best advertiser .
F ig P o int e r s in G e n e r a l
F ig rootings are more del icate than any other deciduous tree o f which
I have any knowledge . Rootlets exposed to drying winds or sun even for ,
a short time will die

, .
A frozen nursery fi g tree should be cut back severely below the freeze
and waxed i f po ssibl e The frozen sap is p o is on and is drawn down
. 1 nto
the roots and the entire system is impregnated and pl ant will often die .
A gr o wi ng fi g tree carries sap from roo ts to branches . When dor

mant sa p flows f ro m branches to roots .
Spotted fig orchards are o ften occasioned by failure o f pl anter to cut

b ack the newly pl anted tree to bal ance l acerated and reduced root system -
i t s hard for 3 0% root system to support 1 00% top growth

’
Roots supporting life o f fig tree go downward to great depth ; almost

invisibl e hair like fruit feeders grow near sur face o f ground in first moisture
-
and are easily plowed up and destroyed reducing season s crop , .
M ission and A driatic figs are both improved by the fig wasp ; the
A driatic in more pronounced manner .
Cool nights improve the size o f Kadota figs . Hot days improve color .
A fi g tree will grow an d bear heavy crops beside a running stream or

near a spring ; it will die young in land holding stagnant water .
I t is no t advisabl e to use manure or other fertilizer around a young fig

tree unless a v a s t a mount of wa te r is availabl e at all seasons .
Lime in soil is an absolute essential for the production o f f a t me a t]; fi gs .
Whitewash on a youn g fig tree is a stimulant as well as a protector

against sunburn and rabbits .
F igs pl anted in sandy l and are more susceptibl e to the nematode worm
than those grown on more heavy land .
Soil that runs together and bakes hard is usually safe from nematode .
Tomato vines are the natural host for this pest Keep them away from a fig
. .
G rafting over a fig to a more desirable variety is good . A bud gra f t -
makes the best union . Less apt to break .

A l fal fa grown between the rows o f
figs is b ad business y omg . Too
m any gophers ; grow corn beans or something else first few years
, .
Smy rna figs dry away three to one . Kadota c apr ifi e d , two to one , un
c a prifi e d to 1
A very superior dr i ed fig is obtained by dipping fresh fi gs in boiling

water two minutes then in boilin g syrup ( 2 pounds sugar to g allon o f water )
, ,
dry on trays four days ; product is very tender and clear .
D ip dry figs
boiling brine ( 2 oz sal t to gallon o f water ) two minutes
in . ,
place immediately in tins lid and seal Will k e ep indefinitely

, . .
A driatic figs grown in heavy l and seem to sour every yearPicking .
fresh and dehydratin g or canning will s olve the diffi culty and save pure food
confiscation .
The Kadota fig will be the agent for revolutionizing the growing hand ,
ling and marketin g o f Cal i forni a figs I t ushers in new systems and new
.
ideas I t is truly a Cali fornia product

. .
A C a nn e r s O pini o n f t h e K a do t a
’
o
San F ranci sco Cali fornia N ovember 1 1 th 19 19

, , , .
M r W Sam Clark
. .
Sul tana Cali fornia

,
D ear Sir
F or the past several years we have been using fr e sh Kadota and White
End i c h fi gs for preserving purposes Some peopl e claim that these two figs
.
a r e identical and that the difference noted is due to the different localities in
which they are grown B ut we thin k that the Kadota is an improved strain
.
o f the White Endic h and have noted these differences

O ur White Endic h growers seem to have but one commercial cr 0p .
This comes about July 1 5 th an d ends in l ate A ugust O ur Kadota growers .
have a crop o f considerable size in J une They then ship again in A ugust .
and from then on q uite continually the weather permitting into O ctober and
, ,
even N ovember O ur receipts o f White Endic h have always been small or

.
m edium i n size ; whereas Ka do ta s run six and even four to the pound This .
increase in size may be due to the fact that the Ka do ta s come from young
orchards and the White Endic h from ol d trees Placing the Kadota b e side .
the W hite Endic h no difference has been noticed

, B ut when boxes o f one .
va r iety are compared with those o f the other we have noticed that the ,
Egla
a o t s appear more golden yellow and richer looking than the White
11 1c
B oth are good preserving figs but we prefer the Kadota .
Respectfully yours ,
P A C I F I C C OA ST SYRU P C O .
B y H L Kimball Su p erintenden t . . ,
.
THE K A D O T A EI G
, 43
T h e F ig Tre e
" B
J C F O "K N E "
. .
I am the F ig Tree I must have no rains fall upon me

I was born in the G arden o f E den F rom Ju ne til l O ctober
’
I furnished both food a nd clothing The air during the same season
F or A dam and E ve M ust be almost bone dry
F or Six Thousand years The soil must be to my liking
I have been a com fort and a solace Plenty o f lime and potash
T o man The drainage must be per fect
D uring all these thousands o f years F or one hundred days the sun mus t
Whil e man was evolving
i
shine
I clung close to the shores o f the M ed F rom a clear sky
i te r r a ne a n A nd reach near one hundred degrees .
M y birthpl ace O f heat each day

‘
M an found man y l ands B efore I give per fect fruit

M any climes where he could prosper Now you can see why for six thousand
I found none years
'
Till about 1 5 0 years ago I clung to the shores o f the M e dite r
Junip e r o Serra the F ranciscan F ather
, r a ne a n
Planted me in California F ew places on the G lobe suit my fancy

When my roots went down into that O ne day near seventy fi v e years ago
-
blessed earth A roving A rgonaut pl anted me

I then realized a new home I n the red soil
A nd a new destiny O n the western slope o f the Sierras
Was for me N ear where F resno
I soj ourned many years The G arden o f the Sun
I n the G olden State Was destined to be
I n the Southl and along th e coast
, That day I knew
A nd around the bay I had found the spot
"
G ivi ng the best I could

“
Where I could do my best
Where Sun and Soil and M oisture I t has taken al l these years
B ut partly met my needs F or Cali fornians to see
I knew H ow perfectl y I wor k
Somewhere in the State When my req uirements are met
O f a Thousand Valleys I am no w producing fi fteen million
I would find a pl ace pounds each year
W here I could do my bes t I n my new home
F or you must know There are one hundred million peopl e
I am particular I n the dear old U S A
. . .
T he winters must not be cold They can eat my present yearly suppl y
44 THE s K A D OT A FIG
" '
Tha nk gi
f
gD hr i stmas G row
l
or C ‘
O to ma nhoo d
s estate
” “
n s v 1n ay
D ay A nd pass away ne v er having tasted

O r any day my fruit
A nd have not near enough I know these things to be true
I cal l upon you my friends
, F or I have lived
Pl ant me Since the beginning of M an
Plant me by the thousands In all the worl d today
I wi ll bring a blessing to you There is not produced enough o f my
A nd to all mankind fruit
D o not be a fraid o f too many fig In any one year
Such a thing cannot be To make two ounces
'
I n the J C F o r kne r F ig G ardens
. . F or each o f the world s inhabitants
There will be ten thousand acres o f me A nd yet when pl anted in the proper
This i s a bagatelle pl ace
To the increasing millions who must I live forever
eat I have no disease
There could be dozens o f J C F orkner . .
A nd for Six Thousand years
F ig G ardens I ha v e not failed to produce a crop
Yet untold numbers in A merica will E ach year
be born
C op y r i g h t 1 9 2 0, W . S am Cl ar k

Untitled

Uploaded by

Document Information

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Untitled

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

T h e K a d o t a F ig

F rontispiece Stephen H T aft D iscoverer o f

D iscovery an d I ntroduction o f the Kadota

Prospects o f the Kadota Fi g

Comparison with F oreign F igs

B asket Used fo r Picking ( I llustration )

D escriptio n o f Kadota F ruit

Cl ark M ethod o f Laying O ff Tract fo r Planting

branches o f horticulture and disposition o f our p r o duc ts tha t a writer on the ,

subj ect may produce somethin g th at is hopelessly antiquated al most before it

I t is only the entire absence o f anything printed regarding this ho r tic ul

ing the Kadota F ig .

impressed with the equilibrium or c o advancement o f human and horticultural

achievements E ach stage o f human advance witnessed a corresponding a d

vance in the fruits and grains o f that age .

The personality o f the human race is reﬂected in the products o f the

faun a are c o existent and make c o advancement

I s it imaginary on my part to attribute to th e ﬁg the fruit nearest and ,

dearest to mankind since the beginning o f time a kindred nature reﬂecting

I s not the Smyrna ﬁg a product o f O riental advancement an exact r e

is ﬁt for our a ss ociation unless by the in fusion o f outside elements invisible a l ,

time and age "

sp o nd i ng to bettermen t when correctly applied " I t strikes me so

the love o f the people "

A re they not almost one "

al l granted prerogatives of its cousins o f old ; from babyhood it yields its

pl aced by fortune or conditions .

walls o f gl a ss it carrie s visions of golden sunrise fanned by gentle zep hyrs

l aden with scent o f blooming ﬁelds and gardens .

O r wrapped in waxen paper the freshly gathered fruit o f golden rad i

our Sun set Sea .

This ﬁg true product o f our land and spirit o f o d r peopl e brings us

fame and honor while radiating pure j oy and pleasure

Stephen H Taft o f Sawtelle a member o f the Centenary Club o f Southern

value were but faintly appreciated even by himsel f .

by M r Taft and afterward distributed ﬁrst appeared in an orchard grown

by M r Cyrus Way o f Whittier from cuttings furnished by M r Theo

ange County Cali fornia , .

ance o f the orc h ard surrounding it The discriminating j udgment o f M r

Ta ft immediately recognized in this stranger the very qualities and virtues so

the ﬁg industry all its own .

The advent o f this ﬁg has revolutionized the planting and pruning o f ﬁg

l abor the sk ill e d p ic k ing o f fresh ﬁgs

This ﬁg h as upset all the established rule s for irrigation o f ﬁg orchards .

uses to which this fruit is now put .

ﬁrst F ig C rowers I nstitute held at t h at time

Relative ly but little was .

age H e was at that time a man somewhere in the nineties

I had had considerable correspondence wit h him and was deeply i m

in particular to champion the cause o f his ﬁ g So in a timid and halting man .

Kadota or Littl e Ka do ta s These older varieties ha ve lon g been known in

Cali fornia and cl assed as unproﬁtable ﬁgs B ut i n general appearance they .

s ul ts are absolutely certain .

to have secured true stock So with al l the emphasis at my command I warn

all planters to be a bs ol u te ly s ur e they s e c ur e r oo tings of dire c t l ine a ge to tha t

ever much nurserymen claim to the contrary .

In my immediate vicinity there is an orchard o f sixteen acres one hal f o f ,

c ha r di sts may hereafter have years o f regrets .

m an within seven years to refund to the pl anter the p ur c ha se pr ic e o f his

Pl a nting C u lti v a ting , an d —

tonnage any other ﬁ g with which it may associate .

so essential for the production o f a superior q uality o f fruit .

s ulphur and iron al l o f which go to make a soil favorabl e for ﬁg production

moisture at all seasons .