Jannary SO, 1866. ] 



JOURNAL OP HORTICULTUEE AND COTTAGE GAEDENEE. 



91 



would soon cause these Fig trees to be reckoned as things of 

 the past, and how short a time ago it was that my old friend 

 was busy amongst them, by way of securing a memorial of this 

 old garden and its Fig trees, and associating them with the 

 memory of Mr. Lawrence, whose genial flow of spirits and 

 general information were always very refreshing to every one 

 who called in to see him, I pencilled down some resemblance 

 of the stems of a few of the largest trees, and I think the 

 sketches may prove of some interest to the readers of The 

 Journal of HoHTicnLTCKE. 



One part of the garden is divided into foui' equal quarters 

 by walks crossing at right angles in the middle, and one of these 

 walks is quite covered with Fig trees. The v.-alk to the north 



enters right into the back-sheds and fruit-rooms. At 6 or 

 8 feet to the right is an old vinery ; and between the fruit-room 

 door and this ^nery is a Fig tree, which had originally been 

 trained to the garden wall and over the top of the doorway. 

 Fill. 1 represents the lower portions of this Fig tree, and how 

 it passes over the door. As I have ah'eady mentioned, none 

 of these trees have been pmned for more than thirty years, 

 only thinned-out when the branches became over-crowded. The 

 separate stems shown in liy. 1 measure just above where they 

 unite that on the right, «, upwards of 3 feet in circumference ; 

 that in the middle, 6, nearly 3 feet 4 inches ; and c, upwards of 

 2 feet 6 inches. One branch is entirely resting upon the trellis 

 over the walk. 



At the upper corner, outside the garden waU, is the largest- 

 stemmed tree ijiri. 2) , and as a standard the most perfect amongst 

 them. In all probabiUty it had at one time been vei'y much 

 imder knife treatment, and probably its branches were tied to 

 the wall ; however, it will be at once seen from its very robust 

 appearance that it has not been in fetters for many years. The 

 trunk, a, before dividing measm'es in circumference i feet 

 6 inches ; the branch, b, 2 feet 2 inches ; c, 1 foot 9 inches ; 

 d, upwards of 2 feet. 



I observed just before enteiing the garden that one of the 



best and widest-spreading of the Fig trees was aU but cut away. 

 It had quite a dome-shaped appearance, the branches extend- 

 ing 28 feet in diameter, and 20 feet in height. Birds are very 

 fond of ripe Figs, and whenever nearly ripe the trees must 

 either be netted over or each separate fruit bagged. I have 

 often thought that these Fig trees would well repay; the ex- 

 pense of covering them with glass, thus securing them from 

 the cold chilly nights of spring as well as from birds. Mr. Law- 

 rence repeatedly told me that he had gathered a bushel or two 

 of ripe Figs in one day. — G. Dawson. 



