It's twin boys.  The younger brother is now showing a decent root inside its cup.  The buds look ready to open in 1-2 days.

I'm posting this news partly to share my joy, partly to provide data.  These two cuttings produced roots, long enough to be seen through a 32 oz cup, in less than 4 weeks.  That's without any heroic measures.  I scored the cuttings but did not apply hormone.  I kept the cuttings in warm, damp, dark sphagnum moss for ~10 days.  Then I planted each cutting in a plastic cup in a damp mix of roughly 3/4 Miracle Grow Potting Mix and 1/4 coarse Perlite.  To retain humidity, I covered the cup with a plastic baggy, the corner clipped for ventilation.  I kept the cups in warm and dark closet until roots appeared.  This method seems unremarkable, meaning that I didn't do anything extraordinary to achieve results.

Based on this limited experience, we couldn't conclude that Black Madeira is difficult to root.  In this case, it was easy.  Moreover the rooting method was pretty standard.  So if others have difficulty rooting cuttings of Black Madeira, the problem is likely to be something other than the variety.  For example, the parent tree may be badly afflicted with FMV.

There are at least a couple strains of Black Madeira that I am aware of. This one came from Jon originally. I purchased it through KK. It shows no signs of fmv though I'm sure it has been exposed. I also found it very easy to air layer, as all 4 air layers were ready to be separated in a month or less.

Texans Patriots win 21 - 17 tie breaker 56

 

An update.  The two Black Madeira cuttings that I won in January are alive and well.  One is a bit further ahead of the other, but both seem healthy.  Here's a pic.  I've just fertilized for the first time.  The cuttings are currently in 1.5g pots but I will be moving to 5g pots soon.  FWIW, I've already removed at least a half dozen tiny figs from the plants.    

WOW!!!!!!!  Healthy looking as can be and not a sign of fmv or any other blemish.... Congratulations! Joe, I need you to do my cutting rooting from now on.......

Congrats!! Glad they grew well for you.

Brandon -- The rooting was easy and there's no sign of disease.  So as you promised, this strain of BM seems free of the problems that have plagued others.

Tony -- I wish I could take credit!  I'm sure it was the variety and/or the quality of the wood.  My technique still has some gaps -- This winter I had 100% success with a range of varieties -- various Mt Etnas (Norella, St Rita), Nordland, Vasilika Sika, Improved Celeste, LSU Purple, Red Lebanese Bekaa, etc; but I struck out with Smith (0/3) and Sumacki (0/3), and succeeded with only 50% of the JH Adriatic (2/4).  There seems to be something about rooting green, Adriatic-ish figs that I don't get.   The Smith in particular was frustrating because I took the cuttings from a mature, healthy tree.  Anyway, I'm planning to start some air layers today or tomorrow.  So far, that's never failed for me.

Looking great and healthy!!!

At least something productive came out of the Texans season.....

Tony -- Thx.  In general, my failures produced no thick roots.  FWIW, I used no hormone.  Sometimes there was swelling of a terminal bud; more often there was an early leaf or two; but nothing is sustainable if roots don't develop.  Once I got good roots, it was almost foolproof -- but one of the Smith's this year was a clear exception.  Maybe I damaged the roots up-potting.

Update . . .  These two cuttings, which I won in a contest in Jan, are now 5-6' trees.  And two is now three, as I gave my brother-in-law an air layer.

After picking off lots of little figs earlier in the year, I left one.  It has just started to color up within the past 2 days.  That timing seems to put it roughly two weeks behind Nero 600 M and Valle Negra, a few days behind Weeping Black and Brooklyn White, roughly on par with my Adriatics, and ahead of Laradek's EBT.  So this is encouraging enough to make me want to see what happens next year.
 

Good work and congratulations, Joe...

Tex 35-18

Nice!!! I'm glad you are going to get to try some first year.

14-13 patriots victory

Thank you by the way for your offer.

27-17, Patriots to win. Tie break number: 47

Pats 20 texans 13. Tie break 49

I don't know who started this up again and they don't follow football. What the heck.
NE 34 Houston 16 TieB 34
NE wins the SB over Atlanta in a thriller.