The Royal Vineyard Fig, illustrated by J. L. MacFarlane, in The Florist and Pomologist, London, 1871. (In the special collections of Mann Library, Cornell University)
Curvy, soft, and delicious. Richly hued inside and out in varying shades of green, creamy white and reddish brown, mildly sweet when fresh, increasingly so when coaxed into its browner, chewier incarnation, at which point it becomes a favored dried fruit of the winter holiday season. We present to you: The fig.
Ficus carica L., the tree species that bears the edible fig fruit, has long been cultivated by humans—and may in fact have been among the very first of cultivated crops, with fossilized fig tree parts uncovered in Neolithic sites of the Asia minor region dating to more than 5000 BC. In their long history among humans, fig varieties have proliferated. Adriatic, Black Mission, Calimyrna are among the most widely grown commercial fig types grown today. But home gardeners — at least those of us who reside in places where winter temperatures stay above 10-20 degrees Fahrenheit — have hundreds more to choose from. And back in the 19th century England, publishers of the Florist and Pomologist wanted to be sure that English households considering a fig tree addition to their kitchen gardens knew of the Royal Vineyard Fig, a variety “of sterling merit” with “flavour [that] is particularly rich and excellent—indeed it may be described as superexcellent!”
The persuasive prose and lovely artwork offered by the Florist and Pomologist make it a little hard not to be tempted to make room for a new fruit-bearing fig tree in the backyard. Indeed, the case for the Royal Vineyard Fig presented here is great example of 19th century British horticultural publishing industry at work. A rich combination of botanical detail, practical instruction, quality advice, and fine artwork characterized publishing in the horticultural field during the 19th century. As a monthly publication, the Florist and Pomologist enlisted contributions by gardeners, fruit growers and breeders from across England to promote horticulture as a hobby across a steadily growing English middle class.
From The Florist and Pomologist, London, 1863.
Describing native and exotic fruit and flower species, as well as both old and newly developed hybrids, the The Florist and Pomologist provided practical tips for getting the various featured plants to thrive in the English climate. For growing figs, for example an 1863 issue of the journal suggests the reasonableness and how to’s of growing fig trees in pots, which can of course be more easily moved indoors in the event of a fig-tree-killing cold front in any given winter season. Indeed, the seasonal granularity of the advice provided by the journal’s writers was high: monthly issues of the journal, which were released in folio format, featured the steps needed at the given time of year for keeping various fruits, vegetables and flowers in a thriving state. Last but not least, the Florist and Pomologist also didn’t shy away from wading into contemporary discussions on the identification of specific hybrids and plant origins. Different botanical illustrators, some, like the famed Walter Hood Fitch and James Andrews, associated with the Kew Royal Botanic Gardens or the Royal Horticultural Society, contributed the artwork. The creator of the fig illustration featured at the top of this blog was James Laird MacFarlane, a Scottish-born illustrator who also gained some renown for his illustrations of orchids during the time of “orchidmania” in British popular culture of the late 19th century.
From The forme of cury, a roll of ancient English cookery, compiled, about A.D. 1390, by the master-cooks of King Richard II, presented afterwards to Queen Elizabeth, by Edward, lord Stafford, and now in the possession of Gustavus Brander, Esq, by Samuel Pegge, et al. 1780, Notable in this 14th century recipe collection are the instructions for Fyge: “Take blanched almonds, grind them, mix with water and wine, quartered figs, whole raisins. Add in powdered ginger, clarified honey, boil it well and salt it, and serve.” Viewable at archive.org
Looking at MacFarlane’s illustration of the luscious Royal Vineyard Fig, it’s easy to imagine that the artist was as smitten with this familiar fruit as he was with the exotic orchids of his day. Long a staple for all classes in Mediterranean and Middle Eastern cultures, figs were likely first introduced into English gardens in the 16th century. The Royal Vineyard Fig is itself a British hybrid, traced by the Florist and Pomologist to a private tree collection in the borough of Hammersmith, then a suburb of London. Oddly enough, figs are not actually the main ingredient in that much sung centerpiece of the Victorian Christmas dinner, the figgy pudding, which features mainly raisins and maybe plums, but rarely figs. A case of false advertising? Not really. Figgy pudding’s likely precursors can be found in medieval versions of various, both sweet and savory puddings, which did in fact tap into the complex sweetness of figs for their texture and toothsomeness. And then of course, figs have always been the feature element in a classic American confection, the Fig Newton — invented in Philadelphia by a fig lover (Charles Roser), first mass-produced in Cambridgeport, Massachusetts (yes, that is near Newton, MA) in 1891, and still going strong as a parent-favored, fiber-and potassium-providing snack for kids and the young at heart across the United States. No doubt then, the fig has had a long and storied presence in global culinary culture, not to mention religious symbolism (e.g. the fig leaf for Adam and Eve!). As the writers behind the Florist and Pomologist hoped to persuade, it’s an easy and quite lovely item to keep in our home gardens too.
For an online browse of the 1871 issue of The Florist and Pomologist and its account of the Royal Vineyard Fig, see bit.ly/3pNHlt1
Encyclopedia Britannica: https://academic.eb.com/levels/collegiate/article/fig/34227
Nissen, Claus, Die Botanische Buchillustration: Geschichte und Bibliographie. Stuttgart: Anton Hiersemann, 1966
Tannahill, Reay. Food in History. 1st pbk. ed. New York: Crown Trade Paperbacks, 1988.
https://www.thespruceeats.com/history-of-figs-1807598
https://somersetandwood.com/collections/themed-collections/botanical-illustrations-j-l-macfarlane-frhs-1836-c-1913
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/brief-history-figgy-pudding-180957600/
https://www.history.com/news/the-holiday-history-of-christmas-pudding
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Figgy_pudding
