I know I first learned about cuttings getting leaves before roots, or roots before leaves from Jon, but can anyone explain why this cutting of MBVS has a fig swelling on it?
I am quite certain it wasn't on the cutting when I planted as I would have removed it.
I hope the picture is visible, but if not, you get the point...

Nas

I would say it was probably there so small that one could not see it and now it can be seen. Last season rooting a plant i had a very small one and it kept growing till i took it off.

Nas
I had it on Marseilles VS when I was rooting one. I had it on some other cuttings as well. The embryos are there but invisible and proper ambient conditions make it grow. Just watch for the shape. If it is roundish with a tiny dot in the middle then it is fig embryo and will need to be removed, It pops off easily unlike a leaf bud which is usually conical shape than round.

Thanks Ottawan,

You know its your cuttings. 

I am not sure I want to mess with removing it right now as I may just not see the roots yet.

I definitely have a bud on another cutting, but I couldn't get the pic resolution to agree so I could post it...

N

Nas
See another similar situation:
http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/fig/msg022052471485.html?7

Oh heck im waiting for the chicken to be done for din din.
So here is another . 
: )

I would say that about 1 out of every 9 or 10 cuttings I have started this year had figs before roots, especially when rooting directly in a cup.  Only 1 or 2 have had figs when using the baggie method for me.  It has happened most with sals of c, latarulla, and dark portuguese.

I have one of them that is larger than a BB in 3 days - just took the cutting 2 weeks ago while in full dormancy.  It is one of the Unknown Voiture figs.

Nas I too had this happen on two of my mvsb cuttings I got from akram. They both got as big as a black olive and then fell off. One cutting is doing well the other died due to me transplanting it too early and damaging the roots.

The bottom line is this: if you have a fig variety that makes breba figs, then a dormant cutting, particularly a tip cuttings will already be programmed to produce a breba crop. When you root it, it is programmed to make the breba crop, which often begin to form before the first leaves appear. This is fine on a tree, which has roots to support it, but on a cutting you want the energy to go to roots, not fruit, so it should be removed.