ON THE CAPRIFICATION OF THE FIG. 211 



where sound, and of a vigour and health without equal. From 

 its foot arose a fine, large caprifig, its boughs intermingled with 

 those of the Colombro. This tree, which had ripened its early 

 figs, had towards the middle of August abundance of the late 

 crop, ahiiost all with the fly withinside, firmly attached, and 

 many approaching towards maturity. At some distance were 

 other trees of the same fig, some with few, some with many of 

 the late fruits, but none which approached in beauty to the 

 other. 



The circumstance of its having ripened two good crops, which 

 in the Colombro so rarely happens, induced me to try to ascer- 

 tain the cause. In the first place, I thought of the strength 

 and vigour of the tree, the moderate and regular growth of its 

 branches, the fact of its being at such a distance from the sea as 

 not to be affected by its breezes, and the fertility of the soil, all 

 of which together might account for the abundance of fruit. 

 But, after some consideration, I did not feel satisfied, and had 

 tlie tree cleared at its base to ascertain whether these two trees 

 of different natures might not be naturally united, or, as culti- 

 vators term it, grafted by approximation. I found that such 

 was the case ; and further, that the two were both united in the 

 same manner just below the surface of the soil with a Dottato 

 fig, a few of whose suckers grew up at a little distance. 



Here were two subjects of consideration suggested ; first, 

 whether, among the various effects of the stock upon the graft in 

 influencing the abundance or size of the fruits, a similar effect 

 might be produced by the above-mentioned intergrafting of 

 three different things. The second point appeared to me of 

 more importance. The vegetation of the domestic fig, by the 

 effect of atmospheric vicissitudes, never flags or rests, at least 

 sensibly, from spring to autumn, whether with the growth of the 

 branches or of the fruits ; but that of the caprifig rests a little 

 after having produced the first crop, so that, when these are 

 ripening in June or July, the young ones of the next crop are 

 not yet appearing on the new branches, whilst those of the 

 domestic fig are a month old, and in full growth. Such being 

 the case, where the stems of a Colombro and a caprifig are 

 united, and both together grafted on a Dottato, it must be ad- 

 mitted, in the first place, that the roots are sufficient for all 

 three ; and as between two trees joined at the base the sap must 

 pass more or less readily from the one to the other, and as the 

 periods of vegetation of the two do not precisely agree in the 

 present case, who would not see that the Colombro fig, forming 

 its second crop whilst the caprifig is at rest, must receive the 

 greater part of that which is absorbed by so many roots, and 

 perhaps even a little of the sap of the caprifig itself? But 



