i88i.] WALL-BORDERS IN KITCHEN-GARDENS. 389 



ence, the fruit of the Moorpark are to other varieties. According to 

 one of our highest pomological authorities, this arises "from in- 

 juries received by frost either in spring or early summer, or in winter 

 after a wet autumn, when the wood has not properly ripened." As 

 I understand it, neither solution is scarcely correct. We have lost 

 a large main branch of a tree of Moorpark, and it certainly was not 

 injured by frost in the spring, as the tree was well protected, and the 

 sound part perfected a crop of excellent fruit. It was the old wood 

 evidently that first collapsed, and this we would suppose to be but 

 little affected by a wet autumn ; and I fail to see how the latter theory 

 stands good, unless, indeed, the branch was imperfectly ripened when 

 laid in about eight years since. The disease, to my thinking, is still 

 a mystery. 



Figs. — These are given a pretty good trial in gardens in various 

 districts, but as yet I have not seen many good fruit ripened, save 

 only along the south coast of England. Some parts of Sussex espe- 

 cially seems to suit the Fig, as there I have gathered large quantities 

 of fine fruit from standard trees, as well as wall-trained specimens. 

 As a rule, garden soil is much too strong for the Fig, this inducing 

 luxuriant growth, which ripens badly, and is easily injured by frost. 

 Here, for instance, a south-west wall is given up to them, and yet, in 

 spite of protection in the shape of good Spruce Fir branches, the 

 whole of the young growth and much of the old wood was killed by 

 the frost last winter; and for years previous but few fruit were 

 secured. The grandest and most fruitful Fig-trees I have yet seen, 

 either under glass or in the open, were trained up a steep concrete 

 railway embankment at the base of one of the cliffs near Dover. They 

 were owned by a fisherman, and were planted in very chalky soil 

 brought in baskets from the cliffs. This chalky soil induced the 

 formation of remarkably sturdy, short-jointed growth, that annually 

 yielded much valuable fruit, which was sent to London as well as 

 Dover. High tides sometimes washed the soil from the roots, and 

 an unusually high tide completely ruined them. Pears failed under 

 the same culture. The conditions, then, most favourable to the pro- 

 fitable outdoor culture of the Fig are a hot sunny position, none 

 being better than where they are often found — viz., in the angles or 

 curves formed by the junction of south and west walls ; and a limited 

 border, well drained, composed of somewhat light and poor soil, with 

 which has been incorporated a liberal quantity of chalk or old mortar- 

 rubbish and broken bricks. If thinly trained, the growth formed 

 under these conditions would be very fruitful and nearly hardy, — all 

 the protection needed in the majority of winters being either Fir 

 branches or Russian mats fixed over the growths after these have 

 been collected somewhat. The Brown Turkey is the most profitable 

 variety to grow ; and if a green variety, the small White Marseilles 

 should have the preference. The Negro Largo is a very prolific dark 



