Fig Varieties: A Monograph - uri=ucce.ucdavis

February, 1955] Condit: Fig Varieties
437
subtropical orchard of the Western Province Fruit Research Station, Stellenbosch,
according to Dr. Daniel du Preez, in a letter dated February 23, 1953.
Ferguson. Described by Close (1929) as a variety grown by a nursery at New
Braunfels, Texas. At Riverside, California, the Ferguson has produced second-crop figs
only. These are medium to small in size, pyriform, with prominent neck; stalk short;
color purplish black, with green zone often persisting at apex; pulp light strawberry;
quality only fair.
Figue Fleur. A variety received in 1933 from Marrakech, Morocco (but originally
from Lérida, Spain), under P.I. No. 102,012.
Breba crop small; figs small, pyriform, purple; pulp dark strawberry.
Second-crop figs small in size, pyriform, purplish black in color; bloom prominent on
body, absent in a circular area at the apex, as shown in plate 12; pulp strawberry.
Season early.
Ford (syn. Ford Seedling). Described and illustrated by Eisen (1901) as a different
variety from the one listed by Hogg, who regarded it as identical with Marseillaise.
Figs large, pyriform, greenish violet; pulp red, coarse in texture. Source of specimens
not given.
Franche Paillard (syns. Abondance, Franque Pagarde). Described by La Brousse
(1774), Duchartre (1857), Soc. Pomol. de France (1887, 1947), Eisen (1888, 1901), Colby
(1894), Forrer (1894); the last two as Abondance Précoce.
Tree vigorous; first crop light, but second crop very abundant. Description is from
Société’ Pomologique de France (1947).
Brebas medium, elongated, dark brown in color; pulp deep red; quality very good.
Second-crop figs medium, pyriform; color violet-brown in the sun to greenish violet
in the shade; pulp red, very juicy; quality good.
Franciscana (syns. Mission, California Black, Negra, Brebal, Douro Vebra, Biberaeo,
Reculver, Gouraud Noir, Gourreau du Languedoc, probably Noire d’Espagne,
Gourreau Noir). Described by Carbon (1865b), Hogg (1866), West (1882), Escribano y
Pérez (1884), Barron (1891), Lelong (1892), Shinn (1893), Colby (1894), Eisen (1885, 1897,
1901), Wythes (1902), Starnes (1903), Starnes and Monroe (1907), Bunyard and Thomas
(1904), Dean (1904), Roeding (1914), Mills (1914, 1918), W S. Anderson (1924), Condit
(1921a, 1921c, 1923, 1925, 1933, 1947), E. A. Bunyard (1925), and Blin (1942).
Illustration of tree by Eisen (1901) and Condit (1921a, 1933); fruit figured by Condit
(1921a). For color plates see Carbon (1865b) and Associated Grower (Fresno),
November, 1922.
The Franciscana (Mission) fig was introduced at San Diego about 1768 from mission
stations in Baja California, and until the middle of the past century was practically the
only variety grown in the early settlements. In 1882, West reported that it was too well
known to need description, and added that it was the only black fig of his acquaintance
that was of any value for drying. Eisen, in 1885, stated that this variety was not good
for drying, but in later publications described it as a fig which dried well. In his bulletin
of 1901 we read: “The general belief that the Mission is a distinct California fig is