1G2 



JOURNAL OP HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENED. 



[ March 3, 1870. 



that yon understand the allusion better than Cicero did him- 

 self, who translated it from the works of a Greek poet named 

 Aratus, a native of Tarsus in Cilicia, who lived B.C. 270. 

 Alatus, in a poem called "Signs from Jupiter," says, "Now 

 the Mastich (Schinus), is fertile three times, and even three 

 growths of fruit are produced by it, and by each in due course 

 it brings signs for ploughing ; for they (the three growths) 

 make a triple division of the ploughing season, (marking) the 

 middle of it and the two extremes." Cicero, in his poem called 

 " Prognostica," translates these lines, not exactly as you quote 

 them, but, according to the best authorities — 



•' Jam vero semper viridip, semperque pravata 

 Lentif cus Bolita triplici prandescere fetu 

 Ter iruges lundcns, tria tempora mODBtrat arandi." 



The passage occurs in " De Divinatione," lib. i., ch. ix. ; and 

 in the next line he adds, " Ne hoe quidem quaro, cur hire 

 arbor una ter floreat, ant cur arandi maturitatem ad signum 

 floris accommodet ?" — " I do not ask even in this instance why 

 this one tree flowers three times, or why it makes the right 

 season for ploughing coincide with the sign given by its flower ?" 



I cannot help thinking that this addition shows that Cicero 

 understood the words " flos," "fetus," " florere," " arare," in 

 their usual acceptation. At the same time I think it very 

 probable that the three gatherings of gum, which were probably 

 always the same in the Mastich country of Chios, gave rise to 

 the popular error of the three crops of flowers and fruit, and I 

 feel much indebted to you for the information you have kindly 

 supplied.— C. W. D. 



[It is quite evident from your second quotation from Cicero 

 that he had mistaken Arfitus ; and Florentinus, in the " Geo- 

 ponika," does the same. They considered Aratus used the 

 word kaiyos literally, and not metaphorically. — Eds.] 



THE FIG AND ITS CULTURE.— No. 2. 



It is necessary, before proceeding to general cultural details, to 

 take into consideration the nature of the plant, its characteristics, 

 its peculiarities, or habits of growth, and its methods of fruit 

 production, as thus I shall the more clearly make myself under- 

 stood, and the more easily explain the reasons for the various 

 practices I shall allude to. 



General Character.— The Fig is a deciduous tree or shrub, 

 frequently attaining the height of 30 or more feet. In the pro- 

 duction of its fruit it is at once singular, and distinct from all 

 the rest of our fruit trees. Instead of producing one crop only, 

 it will bear two and even three crops in a single season.^ This 

 peculiarity in its fruiting renders special systems of cultivation 

 necessary, especially in regard to priming. 



Production of the Fruit.— The first crop of the fruit of a Fig 

 tree is borne on the wood of the previous season's formation, as. 



Fig. 7. 



represented by fig. 7, the young embryo fruit being shown at a 

 That of the second and succeeding crop is produced in the axils 

 of the leaves on the wood of the current season's formation, 

 which will be represented hereafter. Fig. 8 represents the rem- 

 nant of the last crop of fruit of the previous season, as they are 

 to be seen frequently on the plants after the fall of the leaves in 



autumn. These fruits are ignorantly believed by many to be 

 those which form the first crop of the following year, and are 

 jealously protected throughout the winter on that account. They 

 are, however, merely late fruit of the past season which failed 

 to arrive at maturity through want of heat or the conditions 

 required for that end. These fruit are not worth consideration. 

 A few may, under very favourable conditions, remain on and 

 ripen, but very seldom. 



Fig. 9 is a representation of a shoot having wood-buds only. 



These three figures, then, represent the different characters of 

 shoots with the position of the fruits, &c , as they are commonly 

 to bo met with on a Fig tree at rest during the winter time. 

 Where the wood is well ripened and in its best conditions, as will 

 be found with pot plants and trees in houses, shoots, as in Jig. 7, 

 will predominate. A little will, however, depend upon the 

 varieties, and when the wood is badly ripened, as where the 



Fig. 8. 



Fig. 9. 



shoots are crowded, those with wood-buds only, as in fig. 9, will 

 be produced. It is necessary to fully understand the characters 

 and the offices of each of these before attempting the office of 

 primer. 



Pruning. — It is an old saying, "that a pruned Fig tree never 

 hears," which is to a certain extent true, but only with relation 

 to the first crop, or with trees in the open air, or where sufficient 

 heat is not available to ripen the second crop. This must be dis- 

 tinctly understood — that it is entirely owing to the want of heat 

 if the second crop of fruit is not obtained, either in relation, in 

 the first place, to immaturity of the wood which fails to produce 

 fruit, or to the fruits being produced and failing to ripen, as shown 

 by fig. 8. Knowing, then, whence and how the fruits are all pro- 

 duced we are enabled to prune with certainty for a required end. 

 If we tut bark the fruit-bearing shoots (fig. 7), we destroy the 

 first crop of fruit, and if heat is wanting the second or ip also, 

 the shoots produced after pruning being very frequently of a 

 watery and un-fruitful character. Fig trees bcaiing shoots, as 

 in figs. S and 9, may bo pruned without any loss of crop. It is, 

 however, clearly shown, that to prune a Fig tree to any extent 

 is a distinct loss of fruit. As, however, the operation must at 

 times be performed to keep the trees within form and limits, it 

 is my duty to show how that can best be done at the least sacri- 

 fice, and this must be considered under various conditions. 



1, Trees on walls and as standards in the open air will, if 

 pruned (by which is meant that particular shoot), through the 

 want of heat or the shortness of the season, produce no fruit, so 

 that, excepting in extreme cases, a portion only of the shoots 

 should be cut back. 



2, Trees planted out in houses, with or without heat, being 

 generally inclined to vigour of growth will, if pruned, produce 

 gross shoots, and, consequently, but seldom produce fruits that 

 season. In this case also partial pruning only is advisable. 



3, Trees in pots having their roots entirely under the control 



