1869. ] 



FIG-CULTURE IN FRANCE. 



2U 



branch (fig. 6 c) is allowed to remain, so as to replace the one which bears the 

 fruit of the year. On the latter, a bud near the tip is retained to prolong the 

 branch, as well as some lateral ones to form new fruit branches the following 

 year. The shoots are spaced out, so that they may receive an equal amount of 

 sunshine, and not injure the fruit by rubbing. "When the proper number of 

 branches is obtained, all new shoots are removed. 



After the crop is gathered, the fruiting branches present the appearances 

 shown in fig. 6 B and 7 b, the former representing the aspect of the branch when 

 only the first crop is taken, the latter its appearance if the shoots have been 

 retained for autumn figs. This should only be done with the more vigorous trees, 

 as the autumn crop weakens the growth, and, moreover, checks the production of 

 the early fruit the following season. When, however, it is done, two shoots are 



^ 



■zSk 



vfa 





&m \,r WA . ; 'v^x 7 4r 



Fig. 6. 



Fig. 7. 



allowed to grow as shown in fig. 7 the one (c) corresponding with c in fig. 

 6, the other (d) being that which bears the late fruit. In order to force the 

 latter to progress more rapidly, the tip of the shoot is pinched out when it has 

 attained a length of about 5 in. Towards the end of August, a dry day is chosen 

 for clearing the trees. The shoots that have borne fruit are cut off as indicated 

 in the figures, and useless shoots are taken away just above the lowest eye, which, 

 if it should develop the succeeding year, is disbudded in its turn. The wounds 

 caused by pruning are covered with grafting wax. Similar treatment is adopted 

 in succeeding years, the trees, of course, increasing in size. 



The annual earthing-up induces a horizontal direction of growth at about a 

 foot or eighteen inches from the ground, which is advantageous to the trees, as in 

 this position they are not only warmer, but the sap is more equally distributed. 

 The trees begin to bear at six years old, are in full perfection at ten years, and 

 last a long time ; but the old stems wear out in from twelve to fifteen years, and 



