If anyone has information about the LSU DC figs, I would like to learn, read, and see whatever exists. Maybe members in the know can will share some info and post pictures from the DC (Dead Cat) row in this thread. For starters,  How many fig trees are in the DC series/row? Skin color? Pulp color?

Post #1 from misc pix from lsu field day thread:

Hi JD,

These are the capri figs, at least some of them, that Dr. O'Rourke used to pollinate his mother Celeste(s) in his fig breeding program. The seeds that resulted from the cross would be planted by the hundreds and then the selected best of those were the ones he evaluated to find a superior fig that he would release. That is where all the Improved Celeste came from. For various reasons some of these found there way out of the research fields and into private hands. They only had numbers and were not named but I'm sure those individuals that received these knew what the program was and called them Improved Celeste. I doubt very seriously that Dr. O'Rourke ever intended for there to be an "Improved Celeste". His goal at least one of them was to improve the Celeste for commercial use.

The Dead Cat series DC-1 through DC-7 I think are not special per se. They were moved to the orchard when the spot they were planted in was to be bull dozed. I think Dr. Johnson preserved them as much from sentiment as any thing else. When the assistant went to dig them up there was a dead cat there and the legend was born.

Unless I see some verifiable proof that Dr. O'Rourke named and released an Improved Celeste I will be of the opinion that if someone asked what a tree was it was just said it is an improved Celeste with the improved simply being an adjective and not a noun.

I got the impression that the mama trees had been fairly recently dozed, but  i could be wrong.  The planted cuttings were certainly unimpressive with thumb sized trunks, 2-3ft tall, and few leaves.  Between these trees and the capri figs at the far end of the row was the Hollier, but I don't think the DC's were Capris themselves, though I did not hear him say specifically.  I also did not hear if he said anything about the quality/nature of the fruit.

I personally ask Dr. Johnson if the D.C. figs were older vartants propagated by LSU,he told me yes,so I thought these would be a good fig like the rest of the LSU figs.........just never released by LSU 

Bobby if it helps after the DC there were four Hollier.