26 THE GARDENER. [Jan. 



ered before the middle of October, thus keeping up the supply of ripe 

 Eigs for at least six months of the year. 



In beginning to force those in pots at, say, the beginning of January, 

 it is very desirable that they be supplied with a gentle bottom-heat. 

 Although this is not absolutely necessary, yet they start more freely 

 into growth, the young fruit is less likely to drop off, and it swells 

 better with than Avithout bottom-heat. A house or pit in which Eigs 

 can be thus early forced, may be, and generally is, used for other pur- 

 poses besides. In some cases early Strawberries are forced along with 

 them on shelves on the back wall near the glass ; a pot-Yine is 

 fruited on each rafter ; and in others all these three fruits are forced 

 in the same house. But there is no doubt that where circumstances 

 admit of their having compartments to themselves, they can be forced 

 with less trouble and more success. 



Temperature, Watering, ^'c. — As in early forcing of every description, 

 a lean-to light house, with a good command of both top and bottom 

 heat, is "best for Figs. If leaves can easily be got, it does not matter 

 much whether the bottom-heat is wholly derived from a bed of them 

 of considerable depth, say 3 J to 4 feet, or from a lesser quantity in 

 conjunction with hot water circulating below them. So long as a 

 bottom-heat of about 75° can be maintained, it does not matter much 

 which system is pursued. 



Supposing that a set of joot-plants are at command in a well-ripened 

 and fruitful state, and that ripe Figs are required by the end of April, 

 by the 1st of January they should be plunged to the rim in the leaves. 

 If there has been any red-spider on them the jDrevious year, let the 

 shoots be well washed with a soft brush and water, and then painted 

 with a little sulphur, soot, and clay, well mixed together in water. 

 Remove any loose soil that may be on the surface of the balls, and re- 

 place it with loam and horse-droppings in equal proportions. In 

 j)lunging them, give them sufficient room to allow the leaves and 

 young growths to expand without crowding. Give a good watering 

 of water at 80°. See that the bottom-heat ranges about 75°, and that 

 the night temperature is kept steadily at 50°, with an increase of 8° 

 or 10° by day, till they show signs of growth, and the young fruit 

 have begun to swell. Then raise the temperature to 60° at night, 

 with a corresponding increase by day. Give air freely on all favour- 

 able opportunities, and syringe the trees morning and evening with 

 water a few degrees warmer than the atmosphere of the house. After 

 the young fruit get to the size of nuts, over-syringing must be avoided, 

 especially in dull weather, as an excess of water at the root, in con- 

 junction with a too free use of the syringe, has a tendency to cause 

 the fruit, especially in dull weather, to become yellow, and drop off 



