A NEW INDUSTRY BROUGHT BY AN INSECT.

An article by the present writer, entitled, "International Relations Disturbed by an Insect," was published in THE FORUM for July, 1898. In that article it was shown how the San José scale had caused the adoption of quarantine measures against United States fruit by many foreign countries, and that it had been the subject of much discussion in diplomatic circles. It is a pleasure, therefore, to record a recent industrial occurrence of an entirely different character, and to show how the United States has gained a new insect inhabitant which promises to add greatly to our wealth.

During all past time the dried fig trade of the world has been controlled by the countries bordering on the Mediterranean Sea, and principally by Turkey and Algeria. Figs grow in nearly all warm countries, and superior table figs are found in many localities, including our Southern States and California; but none, when dried, has been found to compare with the so-called Smyrna fig, which has heretofore been grown successfully in Mediterranean regions only. California figs have been dried, and have sold at from 7 cents to 10 cents per pound; but, in the autumn, as soon as the crop of Smyrna figs for the year begins to appear in the market, the price of the California product drops, and it has practically no sale.

Now, it is certainly not the habit of the United States to allow herself to drop behind any other part of the world; and this characteristic is particularly in evidence in California. That State would not rest under the imputation that she could not supply the world's markets with dried figs equal or superior to those exported from Smyrna and Algiers; so, in 1881, there began a series of experiments which, at last, during the present year, has been crowned with success.

The first step was to secure the Smyrna fig trees. This was begun in 1881 by Mr. G. P. Rixford, of the San Francisco "Bulletin,” who imported 14,000 cuttings, and distributed them to prominent fruit-growers. When these trees came into bearing, however, the fruit failed to mature, dropping to the ground after reaching the

size of a marble. It was then thought that the deceitful Smyrniotes had sold us the wrong variety, aiming to keep their monopoly intact, and many growers dug up their young trees in disgust.

Then Dr. Eisen, late of the California Academy of Sciences, showed that since before the Christian Era, as pointed out by many early writers, Aristotle and Theophrastus among them, it has been the custom of the Orientals to pluck the fruit of the wild, or so-called Capri, fig-trees at a certain time of the year, and to suspend them in the branches of the Smyrna or cultivated fig-trees. He pointed out also that there issued from the wild figs a little insect, which, covered with pollen, entered the cultivated figs, and that the latter afterwards developed and ripened into the beautiful, sweet Smyrna fruit. He further pointed out that the young Smyrna fig contains female flowers only; that without the introduction of pollen the seeds will not form, and that upon the formation and maturing of the seeds depend the persistence and ripening of the fig, which is not a fruit of the ordinary kind, but a receptacle filled with a mass of small flowers. It appeared, therefore, that the next step to take was to introduce and establish the wild, or Capri, fig, with its male, pollen-bearing flowers, and then the little insect which carries the pollen. Here the United States Department of Agriculture took a hand, and imported many cuttings of the Capri fig, while an enterprising firm of nurserymen at Fresno imported and planted a large stock of both Smyrna figs and Capri figs.

When the wild figs came into bearing, in 1890 and 1891, their pollen was artificially introduced with a small quill into a few young Smyrna figs, fertilizing their flowers, and causing them to persist and ripen. Then they were dried, and it was found that, although the number of seeds was small, the nutty, aromatic flavor of the Smyrna fig was evident.

To hand-pollenize an orchard of Smyrna figs in this way would have been too great a task, and the next step was an effort to introduce and establish the fertilizing insect. Several efforts to accomplish this result were made by private enterprise. The little insect was brought over alive in Capri figs, and issued in this country, but without reproducing. Then, in 1899, convinced that the conditions were at last favorable, the United States Department of Agriculture again took hold, and, through one of its travelling agents, secured over-wintering Capri figs in Algeria, and sent them to California. These figs, in the spring of 1899, gave forth the beneficial insects in

the Fresno fig orchards. All through the summer of that year the insects bred undisturbed, passing through four generations, and increasing in numbers; and the winter of 1899-1900 was successfully passed by them in small figs upon three trees protected from the frosts by a canvas shelter. In the spring of 1900 they issued, laid eggs, and another generation developed in the wild figs, and at the proper time were transferred to the Smyrna trees, where they entered the figs and pollenized them, just as their ancestors have done for unnumbered generations in Mediterranean countries.

The Smyrna figs did not drop to the ground, as they had been doing every year since 1889, when the trees first began to bear. They again ripened, and in August and September fifteen tons were harvested! Of these, six tons were dried and packed. These figs have been tested chemically and found to contain 1.4 per cent more sugar than the imported figs. Moreover, unprejudiced experts have unanimously declared them to be superior to the imported product.

This great success means much to the United States. In 1895 we imported 13,440,604 pounds of Smyrna figs, the valuation of which was $698,894. After the adoption of the tariff law of 1897, which fixed an import duty at 2 cents per pound, shipments to this country decreased, and the importations for 1898 amounted to 7,992,554 pounds, with a valuation of $382,784. In 1899, the importations were 8,535,967 pounds, having a valuation of $504,800. In the near future these importations will be practically stopped, as our whole country will be supplied with home-grown dried figs.

Ex

But this feature by no means comprises all the possibilities of the industry. America will compete with the Mediterranean countries in the open markets of the world. The character of the product, even of this first year's crop, shows it to be superior to the Oriental product, both from chemical analysis and from expert opinion. perience gained this year assures a much better result next year, not necessarily in the quality of the fruit itself, but in methods of drying and packing and of producing an attractive product for the market. Cleanliness in packing, prevention of the disgusting worms so often found in the imported Smyrna figs, and other similar points will be carefully attended to by American packers. At present there are by no means enough trees growing in California to bring about this result; but the right varieties will be planted by the thousands during the coming year, and in four or five years will be producing substantial crops. L. O. HOWARD,

THE PURPOSE OF CIVIL SERVICE REFORM.

The agitation for the reform of the civil service began in this country nearly forty years ago. The inception of the movement was not far behind the first step actually taken by Great Britain, where the merit system was partially established in 1855. It was in progress before admissions to the English service were based solely upon open competitive examinations. During these many years this democratic reform has advanced slowly and sometimes haltingly. Still, the merit system is established. It is criticised; it is ridiculed; it is bitterly assailed; it is neglected by those whose duty it is to promote it; it is even forced backward by those who have promised that it shall be thoroughly and honestly enforced and extended. Nevertheless, as Mr. McKinley said in his inaugural address, "the people heartily approve the law.' If they continue to approve it, we need not fear the repeal of the statute, the complete abrogation of the rules and regulations, or a second starvation of the commission.

However, in all political movements, and especially in all reform movements, in a democracy, popular approval and ultimate success are dependent upon the maintenance of public interest. Whether Mr. McKinley intended the quoted phrase as a kindly warning to the spoils politicians or whether he intended it to explain his own verbal approval of the reform, the phrase actually does embody the reason why the reform has been, thus far, comparatively safe.

That enmity has been felt against it is evident not so much from the speeches and conduct of Congressmen as from the successful attitude of the President himself, and from the evasions and silence of this year's party platforms. This silence especially is menacing. It is the sign that the spoilesmen are hoping that they may possibly accomplish through the distraction of public attention the evil which they have not been able to attain by direct and open war. They hope that the Spanish war, with its consequences and problems, its excitements and domestic antagonisms, will obliterate the subject of civil service reform from the country's mind, so that it will eventually

cease to be the object of that militant concern which is essential, not so much perhaps to its preservation as to its necessary advancement.

In 1892, in his annual address before the National Civil Service Reform League, Mr. Curtis said, "Distrust is the instinct of enlightened political sagacity;" and if ever there is immediate and pressing need of the awakening of that distrust, it is when the men in power suddenly become silent concerning an issue in which their prerogatives are involved. Now, the prerogative of using public offices as their own property, to be exploited for their own advantage, is the dearest possession of the ordinary politicians; and it is natural that an attempt should be made at this time by the enemies of the merit system to undermine the few fastnesses which civil service reformers have succeeded in erecting. Moreover, it is not surprising that the enemies of the law should be working under the cover of darkness. It is, therefore, essential that the reformers should see to their defenses, and especially to that principal defense of which Mr. McKinley spoke so feelingly, not only in his inaugural address, but in his first annual message the defense of popular approval.

There is, perhaps, no better way to revive public interest in the cause than to recall to mind the scope and purpose of the reform — the end to which this democratic movement must make its way - and to point out how short a distance we have travelled toward the goal which other nations have reached.

It was the purpose of the commission which was appointed by President Grant, and of which George William Curtis was chairman, to create such a civil service for the United States as had then been established in Great Britain by the Order in Council of 1870. In other words, it was Mr. Curtis's intention to bring at once under classification practically all the civil servants of the government, except those who are required by law to be nominated by the President and confirmed by the Senate. In its first annual report, made in 1871, the Curtis commission said: "Admission to the higher grades of employment in the civil service by promotion is another cardinal condition of a sound system." By the "higher grades of employment" Mr. Curtis and his associates did not mean nearly the highest, but actually the highest, offices that are non-political. They did not intend to take out of politics the lowest clerkships only, on the ground that the tasks of those who fill them are non-political, while leaving to the spoilsmen the highly-paid places of authority, the duties of which are equally non-political. They intended to construct a logical