CULTIVATION OF THE FIG-TREE UNDER GLASS. 243 



country, and which Mr. Wickham, in the Transactions of the 

 Society some years ago, aptly denominated as " sterilizing in- 

 cumbrances." 



The tree was trained in the fan shaped manner, and it was 

 found necessary on re-training it to remove many old and sterile 

 branches to make room for younger bearing wood ; this, with 

 the facilities afforded for root extension by the border inside the 

 house not being dug as before, induced a state of luxuriance 

 incompatible with productiveness ; and it was found at the end 

 of the first season not to have been so fruitful as it might have 

 been, in other words, it had not yet adapted itself to the new 

 circumstances under wliich it was placed. 



It now became obvious that some control must be exercised 

 over the roots; accordingly, in September, 1850, a trench was 

 opened, and every root cut clean off within a circle of 2 feet 

 6 inches from the centre of the main stem ; a wall of bricks was 

 then built round the roots, the interstices of which were filled 

 with concrete. In November the tree was cautiously pruned, 

 retaining a good supply of the young wood, and removing a 

 barren old branch occasionally. In training, the points of the 

 young shoots were reversed ; and this completed, a bed of oak- 

 leaves, about a yard in height, was introduced, placing them 

 upon the surface of the ground, at about 5 feet distance from the 

 tree, for the purpose of plunging dwarf figs in pots. The moist 

 and genial exhalations from this, when turned, ivJiich was fre- 

 quently done, were found most congenial to the swelling and 

 bursting of the buds. On the 1st of February, 1851, the fire 

 was lighted, and a humid atmosphere maintained at a night 

 temperature of 55° in very mild weather, and 50° when the 

 external temperature was low. The small compass to which the 

 roots were confined was kept well supplied with tepid water, and 

 the figs soon showed themselves abundantly on the ends of the 

 previous year's shoots. During the day the temperature was 

 allowed to rise from 10 to 20 degrees higher than at night, and 

 in dull weather more fire was used during the period of light 

 than in that of darkness. Copious syringings were given in this 

 state ; but when the fruit became of the size of walnuts (as they 

 are used for pickling) it was discontinued, being found inju- 

 rious to its skin from and after that age, turning them black and 

 causing them to rot. As soon as the young growths had ex- 

 tended to three or four joints they were stopped, and soon shovved 

 embryo fruits at the axils of every leaf: these have formed the 

 principal crop, but by the time the first crop was over, the 

 shoots which were first stopped began to ripen the second crop, 

 and thus we have had a constant supply of fine fruit up to the 

 time of gathering the first out-of-door ones ; and the tree now 



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