North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

[Doc Lisenby <longdistshtr@shtc.net>]

Lisa, although we in the South can get good crops from a large variety of 
figs, those which will bear well in your area don't seem to do well here. 
Black Mission, Petite Negri and their improved versions would be worth a 
try, being that you want to dry them.  Most of my figs which do well here 
are better for fresh eating or preserves.  Sybil Mays over at Paradise 
Nursery in Virginia is our "Fig Lady" for this area and she might steer you 
to some she has. She could at least advise you as to what she would 
recommend.  She is real busy most of the year, but she always has time to 
talk figs, unlike our fig advisors.  Local fig growers in Oregon, rare as 
they may be, would probably be happy to advise you and in my opinion, would 
be your best bet.
Don't believe the catalogs about variety names.  We who have bounced around 
in the fig grower world are frustrated with the lack of solid identification 
of varieties.  Ray Givan in Georgia has a booklet which comes close to 
dividing them up and it gives some useful information.  Dr. Bullard is in 
NorCar and is our rock hard authority on local figs.  I have seen beautiful 
figs around LA but as you know, Los Angeles has a climate which will grow 
things which do poorly in other parts of the State.
Black Mission seems to be a favorite there.  I remember biting into one 
which I schlepped from a tree along the side of a road in Tustin, Ca. and 
got a mouthful of gnats.
Doc Lisenby
Zone 7/8