278 VILLA GARDENING part hi 



tages. More often the Fig is trained iu a haphazard kind of way, 

 wi1;h the view of covering the wall quickly. Very frequently the 

 branches are trained vertically. This leads to the bottom of the 

 wall being denuded of all fruiting wood, and much space is wasted. 

 Whatever system of training is adopted the branches must be 

 trained thinly, not less than a foot apart, so that the warmth of 

 the sun can strike the wall between the leaves and ripen fruit and 

 wood, for the sun is just as necessary to one as the other. Dis- 

 budding should be done early, and all shoots not required should 

 be rubbed off when small. This is very necessary, more so north 

 of London than south of that point. The young shoots left should 

 be laid-in full length unstopped, as in outdoor culture stopping is 

 of no advantage. As the fruit advances towards ripening, liquid 

 mamu-es should be given to impart increased size, and the roots 

 should be mulched with manure with the same object of giving 

 support at the moment needed. This is much better than making 

 the border of richer materials, wherein lies the danger of encouraging 

 grossness of habit. All fruit on the young wood that has attained 

 the size of a Hazel Nut in September should be nibbed off, as it 

 generally fails to grow in spring, and only uselessly exhausts the 

 trees. The small fruits just visible in the bud or embryo state 

 are the most valuable for next year's crop. 



Protecting in Winter. — Before severe frost comes the 

 branches should be unfastened from the wall, dra\^^l together, and 

 covered with dry straw, securing it with strands of strong matting 

 or tar-line. In this condition they will remain till April, when, 

 all danger having passed away, the coverings may be taken off 

 towards"' the end of the month, and after a few days' exposure 

 what pruning is required should be done. 



Pruning. — As regards pruning, the young wood being thinned 

 out well in summer, there will be little to do beyond cutting back 

 dead shoots, or an occasional removal of a large branch which has 

 become naked at the bottom with the view of letting in a young 

 shoot to take its place. This will be necessary to a certain extent 

 annually, for without it there would be a difficulty in keeping all 

 parts of the wall furnished with bearing wood, as the Fig bears only 

 on the young wood of the previous year ; and in order to keep up 

 a constant supply of young fertile wood without overcrowding, we 

 must annually cut out a branch here and there to open up the tree, 

 and make space to lay in young wood. In carrying this out the 

 pruner endeavours to cut away only such branches as .are by reason 

 of their nakedness in a barren condition. In this way a constant 

 renewal of fertility is assured without any such drastic measure as 

 heading back. 



