Hypertext Webster Gateway: "Caprification"
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) (web1913)
Caprification \Cap`ri*fi*ca"tion\, n. [L. caprificatio, fr.
caprificare to ripen figs by caprification, fr. caprificus
the wild fig; caper goat + ficus fig.]
The practice of hanging, upon the cultivated fig tree,
branches of the wild fig infested with minute hymenopterous
insects.
Note: It is supposed that the little insects insure
fertilization by carrying the pollen from the male
flowers near the opening of the fig down to the female
flowers, and also accelerate ripening the fruit by
puncturing it. The practice has existed since ancient
times, but its benefit has been disputed.
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