I know many people use newspapers to protect their fruit, and there are probably many ways to apply it, but in case anybody is looking for a cheap and effective way to shield their figs and hasn't tried this, here's how I do it:

1) Tear some full-size newspaper sheets into quarters and fold each at about the one-third point.
2) Slip the folded side close to the fig, making sure to trap the associated leaf between the fig and paper.
3) Curl the paper around both fig and leaf to form an open-ended cone, keeping as close a fit around the fig stem as possible.
4) Fasten it with a clothespin.

The open end of the cone allows good air circulation and lets you monitor the  ripening process, but the leaf seems to prevent birds from reaching the fruit (at least in my yard).

Kenny....

Name that fig variety, please.  Thanks.

Frank

Thanks for the directions. I've seen pictures of that before in old threads, also coffee filters, but newspaper seems it would be stronger.

When you use it, does it affect the coloring of the fruits much?

It is covered at Figs 4 Fun under Growing Tips I learned it from a fellow who had been doing ti for many, many years.

Frank, it's the infamous Brown Turkey, or at least that's what a local nursery called it (to be specific, the label said "Improved Brown Turkey").

Gina, I haven't noticed any major color changes, but have used newspapers mostly on a Black Mission, which seemed to have pretty consistent colr regardless of how much sun was hitting the figs.

Sorry Jon; I didn't realize the topic had already been covered.

Not a problem, ken. Just an opportunity to remind people that there is a lot of info at "Growing Tips" and not everyone has discovered that,, yet.

Well, my BT tastes really good, so maybe it got mislabeled and is really a Sal's Corleone! ;)

Ken,

I sent you a PM