36 RIVERSIDE LETTERS v 



and training the young in its place. Just 

 now the buds are bursting at the ends of the 

 shoots, the young leaves unfolding themselves 

 in the cleanest and neatest way imaginable ; 

 they are most fascinating things to watch day 

 by day. The young figs are already of a 

 lovely colour and considerable size. This 

 tree gives me little trouble and quantities of 

 fruit ; a little manure in the winter and plenty 

 of water in the spring is all I have to give it. 

 It yields abundance of fruit, the first crop 

 beginning to ripen in June, and going on 

 until the second crop comes on, so that I am 

 able to gather a few figs nearly every day from 

 the end of June to the middle of November. 

 There is always enough for all of us, and as 

 we are all very partial to the fruit, that means 

 a good many figs. I get a few dishes of 

 early strawberries from some plants in pots, 

 they bloom about the end of March, and as 

 few bees come in then, I fertilise the blos- 

 soms myself with a paint brush. I used to 

 grow tomatoes in the front bed, but I gave 



