Octobers, 1865. ] 



journaij of horticulture and cottage gardener. 



279 



cceding 4 foot in diameter ; wider borders uiUBt be provided if 

 more tlian one row of trees be planted, and narrower if tLe 

 trees be of less size. Two feet of soil is deep enough, and 

 below tlmt there should be 1 foot of drainiij^o ; for the great 

 ipiantity of water which the Kig recpiires renders efliciejit 

 drainage necessary. Below the drainage materials, which may 

 consist of half-bricks, stones, &c.. a drain should bo provided 

 to carry off the water. The drainage may be covered with a 

 layer of turf 3 inches thick, with the grass side downwards, and 

 then with 2 feet of the same a year old, and roughly chopped 

 np with a spade. The turves are best from a field of yellow or 

 hazel loam. It is scarcely possible to improve this eoil in any 

 wav for the growth of Figs. 



The best time to plant the trees is when the second growth 

 is made, and the foliage is becoming yellow. If growing in 

 pots, as in all probability they will be, the roots are to be 

 slightly disentangled, but not to any great extent ; it will be suffi- 

 cient to loosen the outside of tlie ball. They are to be planted 

 in the front border of /if/x. 1 and 3, and the side borders of 

 Ji(t. 2, at 3 feet apart, and in the centre beds of «<;. 1 and 3, at 

 4 feet li-om tree to tree, and those in the centre bed nilhi. 2, at 

 fi feet apart. Those in the back borders offiiis- 1 and 3, should 

 be 12 feet from each other, and one may be planted in each of 

 the end borders of these houses, and two at each end of Jiri. 2, 

 the doorways being in the centre of the houses. After plant- 

 ing the trees should 

 have a good watering 

 to .settle the earth 

 about the roots. From 

 planting early in au- 

 tiuun we may expect 

 a certain amount of 

 root-action to take 

 place before the fall 

 of the leaf, and unless 

 we obtain this we 

 need not expect the 

 fruit, then in embryo 

 and about the size of 

 peas, to remain on 

 longer in spring than 

 to half swell. With 

 autumn planting 

 there is a chance of a 

 first crop, but Uttle 

 hope, if any, when 

 the trees are planted 

 in spring. 



After the leaves 

 have fallen the house 

 should be kept cool, 

 and the borders ih-y, 

 merely excluding 

 frost, though even a 

 few degi-ees of that will not matter, if the soil and atmosphere 

 be dry. Early in February the trees are to be washed with a com- 

 position of 1 lb. of sulphur vivum, lime, and soft soap, made of 

 the consistence of paint, by the addition of tobacco water, pre- 

 pared by pouring half a gallon of boiling water on an ounce of 

 the darkest or strongest shag tobacco. This composition should 

 be applied with a brush and rubbed into every hole and crevice. 

 The woodwork and glass must hkewise be well washed and 

 cleaned, and the former painted if necessary. The walls and 

 sides of the pits ought to be washed with 2 lbs. of flowers of 

 sulphur, and half a pound of soft soap, in a gallon of water, with 

 as much quick lime added as will bring the whole to the consis- 

 tence of whitewash. The washing and cleaning of the house 

 will save trouble afterwards from the attacks of insects. 



The first year it would be well if the trees were not much 

 excited by fire heat at an early season. The first week in 

 March will be suihciently early for the first season. The house 

 should then be what is generally termed "closed;" neverthe- 

 less it is necessary to keep a little air on continually, for of all 

 fruits the Fig is the last to do without a pure atmosphere. The 

 temperature is to be kept at 40° by night for the first fortnight, 

 and the trees and every part of the house should be sprinkled 

 with water before 9 a.m.. and before 6 p.m., the best time for 

 the latter sprinkling is at the time of, or shortly after re- 

 ducing the air, or shutting tlie lights. The soil is to be kept 

 moist, and yet not wet, until growth has fairly commenced, 

 when liberal supplies of water are to be given, never allow- 



ing the trees to be in want of it at any stage of their 

 growth. 



The temperature of the house from fire beat after the first 

 fortnight may be increaseil to 4.")", and then progressively every 

 fortnight, gaining a couple of degrees en- so in a week, until a 

 night temperature of 5,'j'' bo attained. Care should be taken 

 not to exceed this degree at the present stage, for the fruit is 

 then undergoing a process similar to stoning, when fruit if un- 

 duly excited by a high night temperature will turn yellow and 

 drop. The fruit will remain as it were stationary for a time, 

 and if nuflicient air be not given, and the tree suffered to be- 

 come dry either at the root or in the atmosphere, the same 

 result will follow. Kcejnng the soil well watered, the atmosphere 

 moist by sprinkling the paths and every available surface twice 

 daily, giving air freely, and early, and a little all night, and 

 closing the house early to catch and retain the sun's rays, will 

 do more towards retaining the first crop on the trees than any- 

 thing I know. Unless the roots have firm hold of the soil at 

 this critical stage, none of these piecautious will prevent a 

 large per-centage of the fruit dropping. 



After the fruit again commences to swell a temperature of 

 from fiO° to C.5° at night may be allowed, and instead of syring- 

 ing the trees the atmosphere sliould be kept moist by sprink- 

 ling twice daily the floors, paths, walls, &c., with water ; but 

 when the first signs of ripening present themselves, this should 



be discontinued, and 

 as red spider is sure 

 to make its appear- 

 ance, the pipes are to 

 be washed with sul- 

 phur mixed with 

 water in which a little 

 soft soap has been 

 placed to cause the 

 mixture to adhere the 

 better. It is an old 

 practice to dust the 

 leaves with sulphur, 

 to prevent red spider, 

 whilst the fruit is 

 ripening ; but I find 

 that the insect cares 

 no more for dry sul- 

 phur than for a dry 

 atmosphere. The 

 only preventive qua- 

 lity exercised by sul- 

 ]>hur applied in this 

 manner, arises from 

 its fuming when acted 

 upon by the sun. Un- 

 less its fumes are 

 emitted, sulphur is 

 perfectly harmless, 

 but if wet it is fike its fumes destructive, though not in so 

 marked a degree. The leaves are so unsightly when dusted 

 with sulphur, and its property of preventing the attacks of red 

 spider so imcertain, as to make its use objectionable; but 

 whatever we do we must keep red spider under, and this will 

 be best secured by having the hot-water pipes or flues, and 

 the walls on which the sun strikes powerfully, coated with sul- 

 phur, a little soft soap being mixed with it, as already recom- 

 mended, to make it adhere the longer and better. Softscip, I 

 may remark, is a better antidote for the attacks of red spider 

 than sulphur, and this from the ammonia which it contains. 

 Syringing with a solution of this just before the fruit begins to 

 ripen will mostly keep the trees clear until the crop is ripe, 

 when the syringe can be again brouglit into requisition. A 

 solution of 2ozs. to the gallon is sufficiently strong; if much 

 stronger it will bring the leaves down, and the fruit will wither, 

 and not ripen fully. 



The atmosphere should be kept dry when the fruit begins to 

 ripen, otherwise it will not swell kindly, but crack, or become 

 insipid. Abundance of air, and a dry atmosphere are the re- 

 quisites when Figs are ripening, but the soil should be kept 

 moist, otherwise the fruit will not swell, and the second crop 

 will be injured. If the trees are not forced until March they 

 will ripen their first crop in .July. 



After the first crop is gathered the trees should have a 

 good syringing, and an occasional syringing afterwards will do 

 good. " A moist atmosphere should be maintained as before 



Fig.. 3. 



